


Come Away With Me

by obidalanetwork_archivist



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Complete, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Movie: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-08
Updated: 2010-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:14:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obidalanetwork_archivist/pseuds/obidalanetwork_archivist
Summary: AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.
Collections: Obidala Network





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Nadia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Obidala Network](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Obidala_Network) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2020. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Obidala Network’s collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/obidalanetwork/profile).

Part I.

He's gone.  
That was all he could think about, his master, friend, father was...gone.  
It was all so final, he hadn't been ready for this, hadn't expected it to happen this way.  
Why did he have to be taken in such a brutal way?  
Why not in his sleep from old age?  
How could the force want it to have happened like this?  
Why did the force want to hurt him so?  
Hadn't he been the good little Padawan to the force that he thought he'd been?  
Sure he'd had his moments of teenage stupidity but apart from that he'd held to the code and the light through so many Dark times.  
Why did he have to be fated to this?  
Being Knighted without his beloved Qui-Gon.  
Yes he'd been knighted, just a few short hours ago.  
It should have been the happiest moment of his life but it hadn't, all because his master, friend and father had been ripped from him just two short days before.  
Masters Yoda and Windu had performed the ceremony. Both had been extremely close to Qui-Gon, as well as being the heads of the Jedi Council.  
He could still see the proud looks on their faces as they knighted him but behind that he could quite clearly see the grief that they held at the absence of their friend.  
They would all miss Qui-Gon deeply but as he had been told so many times, the future is always in motion.  
So he would have to get on with life, get on with serving the galaxy.  
But for now Master Yoda had decided to give him some time off to recover from all the drastic changes that had occurred.  
They were to take Anakin back to the Temple with them to begin the early training that he had missed out on in the morning. Also so that he could interact with the other Padawans and learn the basic knowledge of the Jedi.  
He was happy about this because at the moment he wasn't much good to the boy. His grief felt like it was about to consume him and it wouldn't do to drag the boy down with him.  
So here he was sitting alone on the lawn of the Theed gardens, with only the stars for company.  
He'd always found a comforting peace from staring at the stars but right now all they did was remind him of Qui-Gon.  
Remind him of the many missions that they'd shared together.  
So many memories flashed through his mind.  
His 13th birthday when Qui-Gon had given him that special stone that he still kept by his bed back at the Temple.  
The ceremony when he had won the Padawan lightsabre contest, at the tender age of 17. Qui-Gon, always having been known throughout the order as one of the greatest swordsman the Jedi had ever produced, had looked so proud and they had celebrated Obi-Wan's victory well.  
But then he took a second look at the stars and they reminded him that he would have many more missions without Qui-Gon.  
And it was with this though that he finally allowed his silent tears to fall.

**************************************************************************** ************************************************

She felt like she'd been walking for days but in reality it had only been an hour.  
It had been late but she couldn't sleep and she felt that the fresh air would clear her mind.  
So she'd grabbed her robe and managed to sneak out of her bedroom.  
She blended in quite well around the halls of the palace, looking exactly like one of her own handmaidens.  
She's made her way to the gardens.  
They were always so peaceful and had always been a place of solace to her.  
And so there she was, wandering through her gardens and thinking about the great victory that her planet had secured.  
But this victory had come at a price, some of the Gungans and her own people had lost their lives to save their freedom.  
She'd spent the day visiting the families of those who had died and reassuring them that their loss had not been pointless and that they would be well looked after by the government.  
It had been a hard task for someone of her tender years to bare but she had conducted herself in a graceful and faultless manner.  
Her compassion for her people had shone through and they had loved her for it.  
But not only had this battle taken the lives of the planet's own occupants but it also had the blood of a Jedi emblazoned across it.  
That was one thing she hadn't been expecting, she didn't think any of them had.  
She knew, along with everyone else, that there was a chance that it could happen, not even the Jedi were invincible, after all they were the same as everyone else when it came down to it.  
People seemed to forget that a lot.  
She'd had a short and rocky relationship with Master Jinn.  
It was no secret that she hadn't trusted or liked him much at first but she'd grown to respect his advice, judgement and he himself.  
Still in thought on the Jedi Master she started to make her way to one of the open lawns, she'd realised that she really did need to sit down for a while.  
It was upon turning the last corner that would lead her there that she saw the slumped figure of the younger Jedi.  
The night may have been dark but under the intense glow of Naboo's moons she knew that there was no mistaking that the figure she saw was indeed Jedi Kenobi.

She took cover by a tree and waited to see any sign that he knew of her approach.  
Nothing.  
He just sat deadly still.  
She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and began searching her mind for what she should do next.  
She concluded that she had two options.  
Either go over and reveal her presence to him. or she could try and sneak back to the palace before he noticed her.  
She couldn't believe what she was doing; she was the Queen of Naboo for heaven's sake. She'd just done battle with the Trade Federation and won, and here she was now hiding by a tree from a Jedi Knight.  
She didn't like admitting it, but she was hiding from him.  
Not because she was scared of him but she was a little shy when it came to this particular Jedi.  
It hadn't escaped her attention that he was indeed very handsome and now with the moonlight shining over his still boyish features, he looked even more so.  
His shoulders were slumped forward and he had his knees drawn up under his chin.  
It was becoming quite obvious to her that she had stumbled upon the Jedi in an extremely private moment.  
Clear that he was grieving for his fallen master.  
The guilt she felt in that moment almost consumed her.  
She knew now that she would not approach the Jedi, because she was sure that he would hold her responsible for his master's death.  
She wouldn't be able to handle the look of utter despair that she was sure would be present in his beautiful blue-green eyes.  
Yes, she'd noticed his eyes.  
She may not have spent much time with him but there seemed to be no way to escape the beauty of his eyes.  
Now though, if she were to look into them, she was sure that the grief and suffering hidden within their depths would haunt her.  
He probably regretted the day that he'd met her, for she had brought about the end of his life, the way he'd known it.  
No, she would leave him be and not cause him anymore pain.  
And as she turned to leave she was startled by the sound of his accented voice.

He'd finally managed to stop the tears from falling and was now hugging his legs tight to his chest, in an attempt to comfort himself.  
He was now lost in thoughts about his new life, how he was going to cope being master to the so-called 'Chosen One'.  
And how was he going to cope?  
Back on Coruscant he'd said that he was ready for the trials and to become a Knight but in no way was he ready to be a master, let alone master of the 'Chosen One'.  
He had expected the council to refuse his request but they hadn't and now it was official, Anakin was his Padawan.  
He was disturbed from his thoughts when his senses picked up on an approaching presence.  
He closed his eyes and delved deeper into the force to try and isolate the signature of the new presence.  
The force was surrounding him with bright light and a calmness filled his being that he had not been able to find in his meditations as of late.  
But this was distracting him from finding the identity of the creature, he had to concentrate.  
After a subtle mind probe he finally knew that this calming presence was the young Queen of Naboo.  
He hadn't expected that and by the change in her demeanour, she hadn't expected to find him here either.  
He made no move as to let her know that he knew she was there, he could sense the uncertainty within her and was slightly surprised when she decided to hide herself from him.  
But he decided to leave her be for the moment, she would reveal herself when she was good and ready, and not a second sooner.  
Besides, he was content with the bright spark that her very being was providing him through the force.  
He could wait.  
And he would.  
He was enjoying the distraction that her soothing aura providing him.  
His grief was diminishing and he was now being enveloped in feelings of hope and possibility.  
This was the force's subtle way of letting him know that with life there is hope, and that he shouldn't wallow in his despair for too long.  
He was reminded that there is no death, there is only the force.  
Qui-Gon was still with him, now as part of the force that was surrounding him with its love and devotion.  
He would grieve for his master and it would take a long time for his heart to heal but at the same time he would know that the force was taking care of him.  
And at this point in time it was taking care of him by sending the young queen to soothe his aching soul and send him on his chosen path.  
It was then that he felt that she had made her decision and she was about to leave.  
He couldn't let that happen, he needed the peace that she'd brought him to continue.  
He had not other choice but to break the silence.  
"Good evening m'lady."  
She stopped dead in her tracks.  
He'd seen her.  
Now what was she going to do?  
How could she explain her being there and appearing to leave without even a mere greeting?  
She turned to make her reply and to her shock, almost crashed into the broad chest of the Jedi.  
She hadn't heard him move.  
She tried to hide her face from him, because she was blushing from her foolish behaviour.  
He touched her arm to gain her attention.  
"Are you not well m'lady?"  
She looked up at him straight away with her answer, and it was then that she saw the worry in his eyes.  
"Oh no, I am quite fine Jedi Kenobi. I'm sorry I didn't answer before. Good evening."  
"If you don't mind my saying m'lady, but it is a little late for you to be walking around the gardens on your own. Your life could still well be in danger."  
This got her back up and the spell that she had placed upon herself was broken at his words.  
Why was it that everyone thought of her as some delicate flower?  
Well she was going to put the record straight.  
She squared her shoulders off at the Jedi.  
"I can assure you Jedi Kenobi that I am more than capable at protecting myself. I have been thoroughly trained in the ways of combat, so you need not worry about my safety."  
She gave her head a slight nod and a smile to herself for her little speech.  
But to her disappointment the Jedi did not seem fazed.  
He just bowed and said "Forgive me, m'lady. I meant no offence. I'm sure that you are quite capable at many things."  
Now she felt even more foolish.  
"Once again I'm sorry Jedi Kenobi. It's been a trying day and I needed some time alone. I didn't mean to snap at you."  
Two apologies in less than 5 minutes, that had to be a record for her.  
"Apology accepted, although not needed, I understand the pressures of putting on a brave face for others."  
Oh gods, she was so stupid.  
It was only a few minutes ago that she had been watching him grieving for his master and now here she was saying that she'd had a trying day. And all because he'd only been showing his concern for her well being.  
"I'm sorry Jedi Kenobi. It was rude of me to assume that I was the only one who had had a hard day."  
Three apologies, this was becoming a habit.  
"Obi-Wan"  
"Excuse me?"  
"Call me Obi-Wan. Jedi Kenobi sounds so impersonal. I would prefer it if you would call me Obi-Wan."  
She was a little taken aback by his request, she hadn't thought him to be so forward, but she didn't mind.  
"Very well then, Obi-Wan it is. Then I feel it only fair that you should call me Padme, will you do that?"  
He tilted his head and smiled at her.  
"I shall think about it m'lady."  
"What?"  
He smiled again.  
"I said that I shall think about it, but thank you."  
Now she was confused.  
"Why?"  
"Why? What?"  
"Why do I get to call you Obi-Wan but you won't call me Padme?"  
She stared up at him as he conveyed his answer.  
"Because, you m'lady, are a Queen and I do not think it right that a Jedi Knight such as myself should call you by your first name. But because you are royalty, and therefore above me in stature, I think that it would not be inappropriate for you to call me Obi-Wan."  
Once he'd finished, he simply turned and started to walk back to where he had been sitting before.  
She followed behind him while still sorting through what he'd just said to her.  
"That makes no sense. You're a Jedi Knight of your order and therefore I am not your commanding Queen and so I am not above you but your equal."  
Once again she prided herself on her logic and on being able to out smart the Jedi.  
"Ah but you see that is not true in this case. For I am on your planet and therefore have to bide by your laws. And on this planet you are the commanding Queen and I am indeed below you and not your equal."  
He shrugged off his robe and laid it out on the grass beneath them. Then he offered her his hand.  
"Would you care to sit down m'lady?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part II.

He didn't know where his boldness had come from.

He would never normally behave this way with a queen.

But her bright spirit had uplifted him and he felt comfortable to behave this way with her.

He was still offering his hand to help her sit down and he began to wonder if she had even heard him.

She was staring off at an imaginary spot, still working through what he had just said.

He hadn't meant a word of it but he had wanted to see the passion in her eyes as she presented her argument to him.

He found it a very attractive feature in her.

She still hadn't made a move so he decided to repeat his question.

"Excuse me m'lady, but would you care to sit down?"

She blinked a few times and turned her head to meet his eyes.

"Oh yes, thank you."

She reached out for his hand and as they touched he felt a bolt of energy race up his arm.

He lifted his head to see if she had had any reaction.

She must have felt it too, because she was looking down at him as well.

He looked into her eyes and smiled, he felt as shocked as she looked.

He cleared his throat and that seemed to bring them back to the real world.

Padme quickly sat down and let go of his hand.

He suddenly felt empty at the loss of her touch, but had to ignore it as he sat down next to her.

Once he settled she turned her head and caught his attention.

"I spoke to Master Yoda today and I understand that Anakin is to return to Coruscant with he and the other council members."

He observed that this was her attempt at small talk, as to draw attention away from what just happened between them.

He decided to abide by her wishes.

"Yes, he is to begin his initial training at the Temple along with other Padawans, under the tutelage of Master Yoda and the other council members. We thought it best that he learn the basic knowledge of the Jedi and mingle with others his age, before I begin his more extensive training."

"Good, I'm sure that little Ani is very excited."

"Yes, he was very excited when I informed him of the council's plan. Although he seemed a little unsure of being separated from me, but I assured him that it wouldn't be for long."

Even though he didn't feel comfortable around Anakin yet, he did feel sorry for him, being passed from person to person.

He needed some stability.

"And you?"

"Pardon?"

"What are you to do during this time?"

To be honest he was still trying to work out the answer to that question himself.

"Master Yoda firmly suggested that I take the time to recuperate and maybe take a little vacation. I haven't really thought about where to go, I might make an on the spot decision once I get to the space port."

There were so many places that he could go but he didn't have a clue which one to pick. It had been such a long time since he'd had a holiday.

"Why don't you stay here on Naboo?"

She'd caught him off guard.

"Oh I don't know, I wouldn't want to impose myself on you m'lady."

"Nonsense Obi-Wan. The people of Naboo and I would find it a great honour for their courageous warrior to stay as a guest in the palace."

She favoured him with a gentle smile and he noted how she had emphasised his name, as a reminder of their conversation earlier.

"Oh well I."

She cut him off.

"Please Obi-Wan, may I say something?"

"Why of course."

She had him a little confused but hopefully things would become clearer.

"I feel that we are becoming friends, wouldn't you say?"

She waited for his reply.

"Well yes, I suppose we are."

"Good, I'm glad. Well I would like to get to know my knew friend a lot better and so I would be deeply honoured if you would be my personal guest at the palace. Do you accept my offer?"

He thought about it for a moment.

It did seem to him that he and the queen were becoming fast friends and he would like to spend more time with her.

Also Naboo was a very beautiful planet and the people were nice, he could definitely see himself enjoying spending time here.

Suddenly he saw a hand waving in front of his eyes; he shook his head and turned to face the queen.

"Well? What do you say?"

"I say. How can I possibly resist such a lovely offer? Yes I accept."

He broke into a smile as he saw Padme's own face burst with joy at her victory.

"Oh thank you Obi-Wan."

In her excitement she quickly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

He immediately felt that surge of energy again as she made contact with him.

He tried to ignore it and lightly patted her back and then as if she had only just realised what she'd done, Padme pulled away.

She looked away from him but he could still see the soft rosy blush that crept into her cheeks.

"I mean, I'm glad that you've decided to stay."

He thought she looked adorable as she let her shyness rule her.

"So am I, m'lady."

He saw her let out a yawn and he realised that it was indeed extremely late and they both had to be up early in the morning.

"I am sorry m'lady. I had forgotten the time, you must be exhausted. I didn't mean to keep you out this late."

"That's quite alright Obi-Wan, it's to your fault, I had gotten so caught up in our conversation that I too had forgotten the time."

He raised himself from the ground and held his out for her to take.

"Please allow me to escort you back to the palace."

She took his hand and he gently pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you Obi-Wan, that would do nicely."

As she stood straightening herself he bent down to retrieve his robe. He shook it out a few times and then slipped back into its warmth.

Then once they were both ready, they began their journey back to the palace.

.........................................

.........................................

They had been walking for 15 minutes and the palace secret entrance was in sight.

During their time walking, Padme had explained her sneaking out of the palace undetected earlier and that they would have to go back through the secret entrance.

Obi-Wan had found it more than slightly amusing and it was then that she first heard him laugh.

It started from deep in his chest ad travelled up through his throat until released by his mouth.

It had to be one of the most wonderful sounds she's ever heard.

He had then made her recount the first time that she'd found her secret route.

They were just about to enter the palace and as they did so Obi-Wan let her take the lead while he followed a step behind.

They were quiet for the moment ad she took the opportunity to think about their blossoming friendship.

To think that it may never have happened if he had not stopped her as she was about to leave, she smiled at the memory of him touching her arm and asking if she was ok.

This caused her to remember the surge of energy she had felt the next time they had touched.

She stood still at the memory.

She had never had that feeling before and she still remained a little confused from it.

"M'lady?"

She was brought back to reality by the sound of Obi-Wan's voice.

"Sorry, Obi-Wan. What did you say?"

"I said which way is it now?"

She looked around for a minute to see exactly where she was.

"Just another 100 yards in this direction, then through that door and then we're in the hallway that leads to my room."

The Jedi nodded and now began to walk in front of her.

They came to the door and Obi-Wan checked each end of the hallway to make sure that they wouldn't be seen.

When the coast was clear they emerged from the door and made their way to her room.

Once there Padme stood in front of it facing Obi-Wan.

"So we're here?" He asked.

"Yes we're here. Listen Obi-Wan, I just want to say that I'm glad you've decided to stay and I had a good time talking to you tonight."

He looked down at her with kind eyes.

"I had a good time too m'lady and thank you for allowing me to stay."

"Well it's late and I should get in my room before the guards get back. Thank you for walking me back Jedi Kenobi."

She was feeling a little shy and decided to his formal name to draw attention away from herself and also to tease him.

It seemed to have worked because he was smiling widely; he really did have the most wonderful smile.

He took her hand in his, and her heart began to race.

What was he doing?

He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and lifted his eyes to look into hers.

"It was my pleasure."

She watched as he lowered his lips to her hand and laid a gentle kiss upon it, at the same time her heart skipped a beat.

"Goodnight Padme"

She took in a quiet gasp as she heard her name on his lips.

She gave him a wide grin and he did the same.

After what seemed like forever she finally found her voice.

"Goodnight Obi-Wan."

She opened her door and entered her room and when she turned back to him he bowed to her.

They both smiled at each other again and then he left and she closed her door.  
..........................

..........................

He didn't know what had come over him.

Since when did he flirt with and kiss Queens?

He knew now, without a doubt that that was what he had been doing.

He'd spent the rest of the night in deep meditation and replayed what had happened between them numerous times, trying desperately to discover what had encouraged him to behave in such a way.

And each time the same conclusion presented itself, the force had been silently whispering its desire for him to touch her in some way again.

It craved for him to exude an attitude that could be interpreted as more than mere friendship.

It had lit her soul with the purest light so that he would be uncontrollably draw to her because of his force sensitivity.

It had worked.

He had been so intoxicated with her gleaming spirit that he had acted in a manner that wasn't a conscience part of his nature.

He would never normally be so forward with a woman of her stature and age.

He'd forgotten about her age at the time.

She was only 18 and he was 25, he was much too old for her.

He should have been more in control of himself, should have fought harder against the feelings that had over taken him.

But this thought only led him back to the answer that his meditations had already revealed to him.

The force had wanted it to be this way.

It wanted him to look beyond the age difference, beyond the fact that he was a Jedi and that she was a queen, beyond that the very code he lived by made it forbidden for him to fulfil its desires.

He had also meditated on this subject.

How could it be that the force pushed him to do something that was against the rules of the light?

Obi-Wan had always stuck by the code and had never wanted to willingly break it, it just wasn't in his nature.

12 years as Qui-Gon's apprentice had only served to further enhance his belief in the code.

He'd been witness to the many times that his master had bent the rules or openly defied the council's wishes and it had only made him want to stick by the code even more.

As he had said to Qui-Gon not even a week ago, if he didn't defy the council so much, he would be on it.

Obi-Wan didn't have any real ambitions to be on the council but it wouldn't hurt to have it be a possibility.

Sticking to the code meant more to him than being a member of the council, it meant that he was the best Jedi he could possibly be.

That meant more to him than anything else, or so he thought.

One thing had rung true in his heart, as he thought back to his mediation.

Qui-Gon had, on every occasion, only ever rebelled against the code and council when every fibre of the force was calling for him to do so.

And now the force was doing the same to him.

It would not be ignored, but hopefully he could postpone the out come it seeked, otherwise he would be in real trouble.

He knew that he probably should probably have spoken to Master Yoda about it all but he hadn't had the opportunity to do so before he had left.

This morning he had been busy preparing Anakin for the trip and also on how he should behave at the Temple.

There just hadn't been any time for him to seek out Master Yoda and express his concerns.

They had left at 0900 hours and would not be coming back.

She had been there of course, and again the force had been pulling him towards her but he had managed to resist it.

He remembered searching the faces, minds and force signatures of the other Jedi present, to see if she was having the same effect on them, but it seemed that the force had only him in mind for its big plan.

He was doomed.

Doomed to the fate that the force had provided him.

And now that all the others were gone, he was doomed to face it alone.

He had spent the rest of the morning and afternoon touring the palace and had taken a quick trip into the nearest village.

Once he had arrived back in his designated room one of the handmaidens appeared with a dinner invitation from the queen.

He was to go to the east wing of the palace at 8pm where he would be met and taken to her.

He could not refuse it and now he would again be alone in her presence and there was no telling what the force would call for him to do.

He just hoped that whatever it was he could tame the will of the force and be strong enough to hold onto his mind.  
........................................

........................................

She was so bored.

They had been sitting in the main meeting room for a good 3 hours, possibly more, debating the same subject over and over.

It would appear that her life was still in danger.

Captain Panaka had revealed that a number of death threats had been received, from a rebellion group that had been in alliance with the Trade Federation, and as of yet Captain Panaka and his troops had not been able to capture them.

The threats all spoke of the revenge they strove to take against the Queen.

Her advisors and ministers now requested that she leave the palace and go into hiding util the members of this group could be arrested and triad for treason.

As expected, she had refused this action and wanted to stay and show these cowards that she was not afraid of them.

So it was this that they had been discussing for the last 3 hours, along with all the options that they had available to them.

To be honest, she'd stopped listening quite some time ago and was now staring out the window that over looked the palace gardens.

She smiled as the memory of her meeting Obi-Wan returned to her mind.

Her next thought was of the feel of his lips against the skin of her hand, she absently stroked the soft skin with her other hand.

His lips were smooth and his kiss had been so gentle, her heart began to race as she remembered the look in his eyes as he had said her name for the first time.

They had turned a stormy shade of blue and they no longer carried a carefree gaze but seemed to be filled with a desire that she had never seen before.

All she knew was that she had enjoyed the way he had looked at her in that moment.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder; she turned to see Captain Panaka.

"Your Majesty did you hear what Minister Farrel said?"

Damn, why couldn't she have been paying attention?

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I was lost in thought and did not hear your comment. Please, Minister Farrel, could you repeat it and continue?"

She returned to her seat to show that she was actually giving him her full attention.

"I said that we could maybe call upon Jedi Kenobi for help in the matter and if it were required that you leave the palace then who better to protect you than a Jedi."

She remained silent in order to stop herself from unleashing the anger that she felt at this suggestion.

It appeared that everyone was waiting for her response in silence.

Everyone except Captain Panaka, who had chosen to back up the minister's idea.

"It would be the perfect solution, your majesty. Once the rebels hear that you are being protected by Jedi and not just any Jedi but that of Jedi Kenobi, they will certainly reconsider going through with their plans, which will give us more time to find them. It makes perfect sense."

She couldn't take anymore of this.

"Are you finished?"

She didn't give them time to speak.

"Good. You seem to have forgotten that Jedi Kenobi is here as a guest and not on official Jedi business. It would be rude to ask him to help in this matter after all he has already sacrificed in order to save this planet and its people."

"We have not forgotten your majesty, but Jedi Kenobi would understand that we would not ask this of him unless we had no other choice."

Panaka wanted to continue but she wasn't about to allow him the luxury.

"There are plenty of other choices available to us, you're just refusing to consider them. This is our problem and we will not pass it on to Jedi Kenobi. You'll just have to think of something else."

And it was because of her last comment that the meeting went on for another hour and a half.

She had fought them all the way, until Captain Panaka had tricked her into calling a vote on it.

She had been out numbered 12-3, she was humiliated, and at times like this she wished that she didn't live in a democracy.

So it was settled, they were going to ask for Obi-Wan's help and to top it all off, she had to be the one to ask him.

Now that the meeting was over, she was sitting alone in her official office room, trying to figure out how she was going to ask Obi-Wan.

She could make it an official engagement and summon hi to her room, but that was too business like, no she didn't like that idea.

They could go for a friendly walk?

But then it was too open and anyone could hear.

She could have dinner with him?

Yes!

That was it!

A private dinner, that way she could pass it off as a friendly chat and just slip it in the conversation at some point.

And also she'd get to enjoy his company again, just the two of them.

Yes, she liked this idea.

She quickly wrote out the invitation and sent Sabe to his room with it.

Dinner at 8pm with Obi-Wan.

But she still had one more question to answer.

Did she have anything to wear?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part III.

It was time.

He'd spent the last couple of hours preparing himself for his dinner with Padme and he was finally ready.

An hour of meditation had helped him find his centre and release all the tension that had filled his body at the knowledge that he would be alone with her again.

After that he'd taken a long shower to relax him further.

Then 30 minutes had been spent picking his outfit and getting ready.

The invitation had said there was no need to wear his Jedi clothes, so he'd had to ask for help on locating clothes that he could wear while staying on Naboo.

Thankfully they had a tailor who worked specifically for the palace and he had been able to make an outfit for tonight, and was in the process of making him some more clothes for the rest of his stay.

He was wearing black trousers, not unlike those of his brown Jedi ones.

They were loose fitting but still managed to show a hint of his powerful thighs.

He'd requested that the tailor make belts that would fit in with the rest of the outfit, to hold his lightsabre.

There was no way that he could be separated from it, a Jedi's lightsabre was his life.

He wasn't expecting to have to use it but there was always the possibility that he would have to, no one could be totally sure of what the future may be.

He'd also decided to go for a black shirt, that way he'd look casual but still smart at the same time.

The shirt had long sleeves but because the palace was still quite warm of an evening, he'd rolled them up to mid arm so that they wouldn't be too clingy.

He just hoped that it didn't make him look too casual, after all he was having dinner with the Queen and should look smart no matter what the invitation said otherwise.

And now it was time to leave.

He took one last look in the mirror, to make sure he looked presentable, then a quick look at his room.

Once satisfied that the room was secure and he hadn't forgotten anything, he left the room and made his way to the East wing.  
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It was almost 8 'o' clock, he'd be arriving any minute.

Just one last finishing touch of perfume to her neck and wrists and she was finally ready.

She looked in the mirror and saw Sabe smiling at her.

"Well, what do you think?"

She knew that she'd get the truth from her most trusted friend and handmaiden.

"You look perfect m'lady, just perfect."

"Thank you Sabe."

She rose from her seat and they made their way to the room where she was to have dinner with Obi-Wan.

She was so glad that she was finally happy with her outfit and appearance, it had almost been a complete disaster.

The dress that she had planned on wearing had gone missing and was no where to be seen.

So a couple of handmaidens had gone on a search for it, while she tried to choose one that she could wear in its place, if they didn't find it.

Once that had been done she had a bath, after which she was having her hair done, but it seemed that today her hair didn't want to comply with the style she required.

So she decided to go for something more simple and it eventually began to work.

Time had been running out and her dress still hadn't turned up, but while she was getting into her reserve, her handmaidens had returned with her original choice.

She thanked the heavens; everything was beginning to fall into place.

But now that she was sitting and waiting for him to arrive, she was becoming very nervous.

She truly didn't want to ask this of him but she would have to.

She was a little worried about how he would take it.

She knew that him being a Jedi he would feel that it was his duty to help in any way he could, but he'd already done so much to help.

She didn't want him to do more.

She was interrupted by the light knock on the door.

He was here.  
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It had taken him no more than 5 minutes to make his way to the East wing of the palace; it was fairly straightforward.

Upon his arrival he was greeted by a guard that would take him the rest of the way.

As they walked down a couple of hallways and were obviously getting closer to their destination, he could feel her through the force.

He was picking up a dull feeling of her emotions but nothing he could pinpoint at the moment, but the feeling of her presence near by was much stronger.

The guard stopped at the third door down this particular hallway and began to lightly knock on it.

He suddenly felt a little nervous.

Very soon after, the door opened to reveal the same handmaiden that had delivered his invitation.

Then the guard announced his arrival.

"Jedi Kenobi m'lady."

"Thank you, please enter."

The guard stepped aside and allowed Obi-Wan to pass by and enter the room.

Once he was over the threshold he took a few more steps and looked straight through the medium sized room.

He stopped dead in his tracks and almost forgot hot to breathe when he first laid eyes on her.

He didn't think it was possible for a living create to look as angelic as she did right now.

Her hair was down and wavy from her natural curls, all except for a couple of strands that she had plated and pulled back to hold the rest of her hair in place.

Her face was free of the heavy make-up that she would normally have to wear; instead she appeared to hardly have any on, which showed off her natural beauty.

She was wearing a light blue dress that flowed down to her mid calf and had thin straps. It had a soft square neckline that wasn't too low cut.

He managed to blink and swallow hard as she began to walk towards him.

"Jedi Kenobi, thank you for coming."

He bowed to her upon her approach.

"Good evening m'lady, thank you for the invitation."

"Please come and take a seat."

He nodded and they made their way over to the table where they were to eat.

The table was a lot smaller than he'd expected.

He'd thought that Nubians liked to do things on a large scale but it seemed that his assumption was wrong.

This table was designed to seat two and no more.

He followed her to her chair and pulled it out for her, before sitting in his own chair.

There was an awkward silence between them while they waited for the first course to be brought out to them.

She was shielding her mind efficiently and he wasn't picking up anything from her, but it was becoming clear to him that she was nervous about something.

His mind started running through the various possibilities.

He eventually realised that he hadn't mentioned anything about her appearance, he'd been so caught up in the sight of her.

He knew from experience that women liked a man to make some kind of comment about either their dress, hair, shoes etc.

Force, he could be so stupid at times.  
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What was taking them so long?

She wanted the food to arrive so that she could put off talking to him for a little longer and therefore put off asking him a certain question.

She was even more reluctant to ask now that he was sitting directly opposite her.

She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, and that was a pity because he looked completely gorgeous in his all black outfit.

He had acted so strange when he first came into the room, just standing there staring at her.

She hoped that there wasn't anything wrong with the way she looked, the last thing she needed was her make-up running or better yet, a spot on her forehead.

She heard him clear his throat and she finally turned to looked at him.

His eyes held hers and she saw him smile before he spoke.

"Forgive me m'lady, I've neglected to tell you how truly stunning you look tonight."

She hadn't been expecting that and was completely unprepared and she couldn't control the deep blush that rose into her cheeks.

"Why thank you Obi-Wan."

It was all she could think of to say.

He just nodded in response and then their starter course was placed in front of them.

She dismissed the waiter and they were alone again.

"So how did you like your first free day on Naboo?"

First and last if he was to go through with the plan.

Another smile came across his face before he answered.

"I liked it very much. It's been such a long time since I last had a day to myself, I found it extremely refreshing."

Now she felt even worse.

"I suppose Jedi don't get a lot of time off."

"It is a rare occurrence but it doesn't really bother us. We live to serve and ask for nothing in return. But I'm sure that it's the same for you, a Queen can't get much holiday time either."

"That is true but I do have some time in the summer although not long, so I can't complain."

She'd never thought about the comparisons between their two occupations before ad there seemed to be plenty.

They both weren't free to be their own person most of the time and they both had their duties to perform.

She began to relax a little at the insight.

Obi-Wan would understand that it was duty that would force her to ask the dreaded question and nothing else.  
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The next two courses had flown by and both were delicious.

Padme had overcome her shyness and had made him tell her a few stories of his life as a Jedi, which she seemed to enjoy a lot.

Making her laugh had been easy and he loved the way that she looked when she did so.

Her cheeks would flush and she'd tilt her head back, exposing her slender neck.

He'd found it hard on more than one occasion to not take advantage of the opportunity to touch the skin.

The force had been begging him to do so but he'd remained in control, much to his relief.

He was brought back to the present when the waiter approached with their warm cups of Nubian coffee.

He closed his eyes and let the aroma of it fill his senses before taking his first sip.

"What do you think?"

Her soft voice floated into his ears ad he re-opened his eyes to look at her.

She was eagerly awaiting his answer, her chocolate eyes wide and her pink lips slightly parted.

Why did she have to look at him like that?

"Its. Its."

He couldn't think of anything other than how much he wanted to lean over and capture her lips with his.

"Yes."

She was growing a little impatient.

"Its. very. good."

Gods that sounded lame.

"Good? Is that it?"

"What else did you want me to say?"

She pulled her bottom lip in and began to chew on it slightly.

He had to look away, the temptation was too much.

"I don't know but I hadn't thought that that was all you'd say."

"I'm more of a tea drinker."

Lame again Kenobi.

"Oh ok."  
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She'd managed to put off asking him all through dinner and now she was running out of time.

She'd exhausted all other conversation topics and the last comments about the coffee was proof enough of that.

It was now or never.

She could put it off no longer.

She light cleared her throat before speaking again.

"Obi-Wan, I have a rather important question to ask you but before I ask it I want you to know that I don't agree with asking you and wouldn't if I could have it my way."

She watched him while he took in what she'd just said and waited for him to signal for her to continue.

"Please go on."

She took in a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Here goes nothing.

"I was informed earlier today that we have received threats from a rebel group here on Naboo who were in alliance with the Trade Federation. It would appear that they're seeking revenge for our victory and that their main objective is removing me from power."

She paused so that he could take in the information properly and also so that she could focus on the next part.

She closed her eyes for a moment and was a little startled when she felt Obi-Wan's hand upon her own.

"Padme please do not be nervous about asking what you need to of me, I will try to help you as best I can."

She was put at ease a little when she heard him use her name.

She looked into his eyes and nodded.

"We talked through the options we had available and it was put to a vote, which I lost."

He squeezed her hand and she smiled her thank you at the gesture.

"I am to leave the palace and go into hiding in a more secluded part of Naboo. Anyway, what I need to ask is can you please come away with me and be my protection while I am in hiding?"

There she'd said it, now that wasn't so bad was it.

Or was it?  
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He was thinking over all she had said and her question.

There was no doubt that his answer would be yes, the force was guiding him to that conclusion but he must have spent too long in thought because he soon heard Padme's nervous voice.

"I didn't want to ask this of you Obi-Wan. I fought it all the way until they put it to a vote and I lost. I don't want you to think that we're taking advantage of you. I."

He interrupted her.

"Shhh calm down."

He took hold of both her hands with his.

"Its ok Padme, I understand. I know you wouldn't ask this of me unless you had no other choice."

"You do?"

Her voice had taken on a childlike sound.

"Yes I do. And I want you to know that I don't feel used. Of course I'll help you."

"You will? Oh thank you Obi-Wan, I don't deserve you."

She let go of his hands, got out of her seat, walked the two steps to him and began to hug him tightly.

"Thank you"  
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It was the second day since his dinner with Padme ad also the day that they would leave Theed together and travel to the lake country of Naboo.

It was there that Padme had chosen to go and begin her 'temporary exile', as she liked to call it.

He had laughed out loud when the words had escaped her mouth as part of her tirade against her having to leave the palace.

She had explained all that had happened in her meeting earlier that day to him, after she had gotten over the surprise of his accepting the plea for help that she had been forced to make.

He hadn't stayed long after their coffee, partly because he had wanted to meditate and prepare for his new and unexpected mission and partly because he had needed to distance himself from her.

While it hadn't been as difficult as he'd first thought, to be alone with her, the pull of the force towards her had been increasing as time went on and eventually he would have lost the battle.

It was the fact that he knew this and still said yes to her request that puzzled him a little.

It was true that the force had guided him to that answer and it was also true that the force was pushing him towards her, but he knew that he would have said yes despite having that knowledge.

He wanted to believe that he was doing this for her only but he knew deep down inside that it had been out of his own selfish need to be near her.

He had to get a hold of himself.

She was his friend now, no matter if the force was influencing him to want more than that, and he had always been there when his friends needed him.

One thing was for sure; he had needed to talk to somebody about the situation.

So yesterday he had managed to contact Master Yoda on the ship carrying him and the others back to Coruscant.

At first he'd attempted to make it seem as if he was enquiring after Anakin's well being but he knew that Master Yoda knew that he had much more on his mind.

So his next step had been to explain that he'd taken on the mission to protect the Queen from the threat of the rebels.

He'd asked Master Yoda if he had any objections but there were none and Master Yoda had agreed with Obi-Wan's decision to help.

He said that he would make it official when he arrived back at the Temple and make sure it was logged down in the official archives, that way Obi-Wan could submit a report of the outcome of the mission.

Master Yoda had then asked if there was anything else he wished to discuss and Obi-Wan had decided that he didn't need to burden the older Jedi with his main concern for the moment, he had it under control.

He'd spent the rest of the day in briefings with Captain Panaka and a few other officials, to make sure that he had details of everything he would need to know.

Captain Panaka had told him in confidence that these threats were very serious and real, even though the young Queen did not think so.

He wanted Obi-Wan to fully understand the scale of the situation, there was a chance that the rebels may still come after her despite the presence of the Jedi.

Obi-Wan assured the Captain that he was in no way taking the matter lightly, and that he would protect the Queen with his life.

Captain Panaka had relaxed with this admission and then set about giving Obi-Wan the last details that he would require.

Then later that evening he had collected his clothes from the tailor and started to pack his things.

The new clothes were no longer just simple outfits to wear for a vacation; he'd had to ask the tailor to make him two extra sets of his Jedi uniform, which he was sure he would wear most of the time.

His stay on Naboo was no longer one for pleasure; he had work to do.

And that brought him to the present.

They weren't leaving until tonight but he still had a few things to sort out before then.  
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There was no way that this was going to work.

There were too many things that had to be worked through and required her approval, she couldn't leave it all for Sabe to do.

It had been Captain Panaka's idea to keep Sabe here at the palace as a decoy.

He said that it would buy them a little extra time in keeping her escape from Theed from the rebels, she doubted that, and also it would not draw attention from the people of Naboo.

They would sleep easy thinking that their monarch was safe and sound in the palace.

So while she was preparing for the journey tonight she was also telling Sabe everything that needed to be worked through and giving her notes on the many meetings that she would need to attend.

It was true that her highest ranked ministers knew she was leaving but everyone else didn't have a clue and Sabe would have to attend a lot of meetings with the lower ministers, so she had to be convincing.

The stress of everything going on around her was only relieved when she thought of the sweet private Chateau that she would be staying in for.. She didn't know how long.

She'd picked this particular Chateau in the lake country of Naboo because it was where she had spent some of the happiest times of her life.

Her family had been spending their summer vacations in that very Chateau for as long as she could remember.

She would be safe there.

But first she had to get there and that wouldn't happen until she'd finished her packing.

She only wanted to take the bare essentials but the woman inside her told her to take something for every possible occasion.

There was no telling how long she would be stuck out there and it wouldn't be proper for a lady to be seen in the same dress twice.

She hated that stupid old wives rule but she still kept to it.

She and Obi-Wan could be out there for quite some time, and she wanted to look her best at all times.

She blushed a little as she remembered his compliment on her appearance at dinner.

'Truly Stunning' had been the words he'd used and she was deeply flattered by them, it wasn't everyday that she got a compliment from a Jedi.

She hadn't seen much evidence of that behaviour in them but then again she wasn't exactly an expert on the behaviour of Jedi.

This got her thinking.

She didn't know enough about the Jedi.

Not many people did, they remained a mystery to most.

She decided that is she was going to be spending most of the foreseeable future with one, then it might be helpful to learn more about them.

She quickly sent one of her handmaidens to the palace library to collect as much information as possible.

There wasn't much time left until they were leaving and she still had so much to do.  
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Midnight.

Obi-Wan was gently loading his and Padme's luggage onto the small wooden boat that would take them away from the palace.

There wasn't much room on the narrow raft and it certainly didn't cater for comfort but it wouldn't draw attention from prying eyes and it would get them to their destination efficiently enough.

Now that he'd finished loading he was happy to see that there would be just enough room for he and Padme to sit at one end and for the driver to stand at the other.

He hadn't expected Padme to have so much luggage, he only had two small bags himself.

He was thankful that they had decided to send a couple of her handmaidens, a long with the supplies they would need, on another boat earlier that day.

He turned his attention back to the small gathering at the side of the river.

"M'lady, the boat is finally ready for us to leave. Are you ready?"

"Yes thank you Jedi Kenobi."

She made her goodbyes to Sabe and the rest of her handmaidens and a professional farewell to Captain Panaka before turning back to him.

He stepped into the end of the boat where they would be sitting and held out his hand for her to take.

She smiled down at him as she gingerly took his hand and stepped into the boat.

She was finding it hard to keep her balance at first and he had to hold onto her waist to stop her falling.

As his hand made contact she immediately looked him straight in the eye and he felt like time had stopped.

Their faces were only inches apart and he could feel her quick nervous breaths on his cheek.

Her eyes moved from staring into his, to his lips.

He watched her lick her own with her petit tongue.

For a split second he heard her thoughts of how much she wanted to find out whether his kiss would e as soft and smooth on her lips as it had been on her hand.

His eyes widened in shock and all he wanted to do was help her find out, but his thoughts ceased as he heard the voice of her handmaiden.

"Are you alright m'lady?"

He saw Padme nod her head at her handmaiden before answering.

"Yes I'm fine, came over a little dizzy, I'm just not used to these sensitive boats."

She turned back to hi and he helped her sit down, then turned around to untie the boat from the small dock and giving them a little push to get started.

He turned back to look at Captain Panaka as they slowly drifted off.

"Keep her safe Jedi Kenobi."

He nodded.

"I will."

He knew that he would do everything in his power to protect her if they came under attack, that would not be a problem.

The one thing he was worried about at the moment was whether he could protect her from himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part IV.

Her head was reeling.

She didn't know what had come over her.

When he'd put his hand on her waist and she'd looked into his eyes, she'd suddenly felt that she needed to be closer to him, to touch him.

Her heart had been racing so fast that she thought it might actually burst.

She'd become distracted by seeing how close his lips were to hers, she'd only needed to lean in a couple of inches and they would have been touching.

That knowledge had overwhelmed her and all she could think about was how his kiss would feel on her lips.

But unfortunately she hadn't been able to find out because one of her handmaidens had interrupted them.

10 minutes had now passed by since they'd left the dock and in that time all she'd done was watch Obi-Wan while he checked through things and made sure that the driver was sure of the directions.

They had four hours until they would reach the Chateau and she wished that Obi-Wan would just settle down and relax; his actions were putting her on edge.

He was in the process of moving some of their bags around so that she would have some more legroom and she couldn't take it anymore.

She reached out and put her hand on his forearm to gain his attention.

"Obi-Wan?"

His head snapped round and he looked at her and then slowly down where her hand lay.

She noticed that he felt tense.

"How have you been?"

He looked a little confused at first but then she saw him visibly relax.

"I've been fine m'lady. Busy but fine thank you for asking. And yourself?"

"Busy as well but I'm safe and healthy and now I'm in the company of my newest friend, so I'm fine."

A small but genuine smile made its way onto his face.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad that the stress of the situation hasn't got to you."

He went back to looking through some of the bags and moving them about a bit.

Everything went quiet and it seemed that he'd decided that that was it, conversation over.

She hoped not, she didn't think she'd be able to stand it if the rest of their journey was to be conducted in silence.

But then his voice rose into her ears again.

"Its just as well that we sent your handmaidens ahead with the supplies, otherwise there would have been no room at all for us to sit. What is all this stuff for?"

She smiled to his back.

"Obi-Wan, you don't know how long we could be stuck out there and besides you should always be prepared for every possible outcome."

He twisted his neck round so that he could see her.

"I understand this and I feel the same way. But Padme please explain to me how I managed to do this and only pack two bags and you have done it by packing six."

This time the smile he favoured her with reached his eyes and bared his teeth to her.

She was speechless for the moment and all she could do was laugh.  
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They'd been talking for an hour now and he felt much more relaxed.

It appeared that so was Padme, as she yawned for the 12th time in the last 10 minutes.

He chuckled a little at her stubbornness.

He'd been asking her for the last quarter of an hour if she was tired and needed to sleep but she'd kept answering in the negative.

But it was plainly obvious that sleep was waiting impatiently to claim her.

"Padme I really do think that you should get some rest. It's been a long few days for us both."

She was busy rubbing her eyes.

"I'm fine, really. Anyway, if we've both been busy then why shouldn't you go to sleep as well."

She only just managed to get the rest of her sentence out before she had to fight off another yawn.

He decided that it was only a matter of tie and so began moving a couple of bags to make a pillow and dug out a blanket.

"If I went to sleep as well then I wouldn't be doing my jobs now, would I?"

"I suppose not but nothing can happen to us out here, no one even knows that we're here."

"Ahh now that's where you're wrong, plenty of people know we're here and anything could happen."

He finished getting the blanket unfolded and then everything was ready.

"Come on Padme, go to sleep, you know you want to."

He patted the space he'd made for her to lay in.

"Lay down and go to sleep."

He watched her yawn again.

"Alright I will, but only if you lay down with me. I don't want to have to lay down there and stare at the back of your head all night. Besides you'll be able to help keep me warm."

So much for being relaxed.

He didn't know what to say or do.

He didn't think he could trust himself.

His mind was racing.

But then all thought ceased when he felt her hand on his cheek.

He started to panic a little as he watched her bring her face in closer to his.

He thought she was going to kiss him but then she brought her lips up to his ear instead.

"Please Obi-Wan."

It was barely above a whisper and he had to force himself to swallow the moan that was sure to come from his throat.

He couldn't refuse her.

"As you wish, m'lady."

She seemed delighted at her triumph.

He set about making his pillow and then laid down.

Padme looked down at him and it appeared that the truth of the situation had only just dawned on her as he saw the nervous look in her eyes.

But it soon disappeared as she laid herself down next to him.

They had to adjust their positions because it soon because apparent that it wasn't possible to lie two abreast in the narrow boat.

Padme made him stay on his back as she began to turn onto her side.

Her hands were resting on his chest as she hooked her left leg over his waist.

She then replaced her hands with her head.

She looked up at him.

"I hope you don't mind but the bag is uncomfortable."

He could only shake his head, as he didn't think he had the power to speak at the moment.

All he could do was pull the blanket over them.

He had to find his centre, he was letting his emotions control hi and that wasn't a good thing."  
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She was so tired and all she wanted to do was go to sleep.

His body was so tense.

There was no way that she'd be able to get to comfortable.

She began to fidget a bit and she heard him take in a deep breath, so she stopped for the time being.

She lay still, listening to the wild drumming of his heartbeat.

She realised that it almost matched the speed of her own at the moment.

It would see that she'd got part of her wish from back at the dock.

She was definitely touching him.

Although she hadn't expected it to happen like this.

She was beginning to have the strangest feelings.

Something was telling her that this is where she belonged, that she was meant to be with Obi-Wan like this.

That their bodies were meant to be intertwined like this.

It was telling her that she would need Obi-Wan above anyone else.

She couldn't explain it, she just knew that it was the truth.

She'd never felt anything like it before.

It scared her.

She felt Obi-Wan relax and his arm snake round her waist.

The movement both calmed and excited her.

She suddenly felt a little drowsy and could barely keep her eyes open.

Then she heard Obi-Wan's voice.

"Goodnight Padme."

"Goodnight Obi-Wan."

And with that she was unconscious and in a deep sleep.  
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He'd decided to help her in her quest for sleep with a little force suggestion.

It had worked and she'd been out like a light ever since.

That was a blessing.

There was no way that he was going to be able to sort through the mess that had previously been his mind while she was awake.

Especially with the added distraction of the thoughts that were leaking from within her.

He didn't want to pretend that he wasn't enjoying being this close to her, holding her in his arms.

There was a familiarity about it, the feeling that he was home at last.

She felt like home to him.

She'd shifted a little in her sleep and she was now almost completely covering the entire length of his body.

Her delicate body looked even more so against his broader frame.

He'd let the force win this time and he was happy to reap in the benefits.

He was soaking in the light of her aura, letting it surround and bathe him in its peace.

She was holding onto him tight and he couldn't remember the last time someone had held him like this, if indeed it had ever happened.

He was totally enveloped in her.

When he breathed all he could smell was her.

Her hair, perfume, and that scent that was hers and hers alone.

It was becoming clear that the force had sent her to him as a gift.

It was telling him that she was what he needed, that she would complete him in the same way that he would complete her.

He still didn't understand it all though.

If she would complete him then why hadn't the force wanted him to be something other than a Jedi, so that he would be free to do as it wished?

Why did it want him to break the rules?

What would it accomplish?

Surely no good could come from it?

He lost his trail of thought as Padme began to move against his body again.

Torture.

The force was torturing him.

Giving him that which he could not have.

Well there was hope for him yet.

He would be relieved from it for the time being, as he saw the Chateau come into view.

Time to wake up the sleeping beauty.  
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She'd been having the most wonderful dream and she didn't want to be brought back to the real world just yet.

Why did her handmaidens always choose to wake her at the most inconvenient times?

"Just 10 more minutes Sabe. Ok?"

She started to stretch a little as further evidence that she was waking up.

It was then that she noticed that her bed felt a bit odd.

"I'm afraid that 10 more minutes isn't an option m'lady, and Sabe can't hear you."

Her body went stiff.

She knew that voice, it was Obi-Wan.

What was he doing in her bedroom?

Why couldn't Sabe hear her?

Was she still asleep?

Where was she?

"I'm sorry to disturb you m'lady but I can't get up until you do."

She lifted her head to look at him.

"What are you talk..."

She stopped mid-sentence as the realisation that Obi-Wan had been her bed struck her.

He smiled and waved from beneath her.

"We've arrived at the Chateau m'lady."

Now she remembered where she was.

"Oh ok, good."

It was all so confusing.

She felt Obi-Wan's hand stroke her cheek and she instinctively leaned into the touch.

"Padme?"

She opened her eyes and looked back down at him.

"Are you alright Padme?"

His concern for her was evident in his eyes.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just a little drowsy I guess."

"M'lady! You're here! Oh it is good to see you!"

She and Obi-Wan both looked away from each other at the same time, as her handmaidens came to the edge of the docking bay.

She smiled her welcome to them.

"Rabe, Corde, it is good to see you too."

There were a couple of other servants that were collecting the bags from the boat and taking them inside.

"Hello Jedi Kenobi, it is good to see you too."

That reminded her of just how awkward a position she and Obi-Wan were in.

This would definitely send her handmaidens' tongues wagging and she was sure that she would never hear the end of it.

"Hello and thank you dear handmaidens."

He bowed his head to them and she heard them giggle.

"Excuse me ladies, but would you mind helping me out?"

She wasn't sure why but she didn't like the way her handmaidens were openly drooling over Obi-Wan in her presence.

"Oh yes, I am sorry m'lady."

They both helped her out and she immediately felt lost without Obi-Wan's touch.

She wondered how she'd ever managed to live all these years without it, because now that she'd felt it there was no way that she could go on living without his touch.

She waited at the side of the dock until he had finished collecting the rest of the bags.

Then they all turned and walked in together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part V.

Four days had passed by and still there had been no attempt made on her life.

Everything was safe and sound.

It almost felt like she was actually on holiday, except for the fact that she wasn't really allowed to go anywhere on her own.

She was either with Obi-Wan or Rabe or Corde.

She didn't mind spending all day with Obi-Wan though.

After leaving him when they first arrived she found that she had a deep ache inside that only went away when he was by her side.

She felt like they'd become a part of each other.

She'd managed to read through some of the information about the Jedi that Dorme had collected for her back at the palace.

She was actually surprised at the volume of information they had on the Jedi.

She couldn't understand why she'd never been shown it before.

At first she'd found it a little difficult to understand their culture but as she continued to study it, it gradually became clearer.

She'd discovered a lot of things about them that were able to put straight a lot of the rumours that were spread about them.

They could indeed read thoughts and feelings but only when the person wasn't shielding their mind adequately.

She'd made a mental note to be more focused when she was around Obi-Wan.

She also found out that they were brought to the Jedi Temple between the ages of 0-4 and were raised by the order.

Then at the age of 13 they were taken on as Padawan learners and they would stay with their Masters until Knighthood.

There was so much information to take in that she hadn't been able to get through it all at once.

She had been able to reach one of the more intriguing trickles of information though.

She had found a mantra they used.

A Jedi shall not know anger.

A Jedi shall not know hate.

A Jedi shall not know love.

She'd been a little confused and appalled at the last part of the statement.

How could it be that they weren't allowed to love?

Everyone had the right to experience love.

She'd have to discuss it with Obi-Wan one day.

She wondered where he was.

The only time that he wasn't with her was when she was asleep and in the morning before breakfast.

She'd taken a short walk around the balconies of the Chateau and she had yet to see him.

Then when she turned the next corner she saw the blue light of his new lightsabre.

She'd sat and spent most of their first day here watching him construct it with his bare hands.

She'd been truly amazed when she'd seen the blue blade appear for the first time.

She let her eyes fall upon him as he continued to fight his invisible partner.

He was dressed in his Jedi trousers and his under tunic.

The tunic had become almost transparent from his sweat and she could quite clearly see the outline of his broad chest.

She watched as he flipped a few times in the air.

It all looked so effortless.

His moves were graceful but there was no mistaking the power behind them.

It sent a shiver up her spine as she thought about the power that lay just beneath the surface of his skin.

She'd forgotten that Obi-Wan was a trained killer, perhaps 10 times more deadly than the men that were after her at the moment.

She came out of her daydream and looked out at the now empty spot where she'd last seen Obi-Wan.

Where was he?  
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He'd felt her eyes on him while he worked through the last part of his morning workout.

They'd been here for four days now and with every passing day he was giving in to the will of the force a little bit more.

Being in such close proximity to her for nearly the whole day had only served to weaken his resistance.

The need for physical contact grew with every minute and subsequently their shared touches were becoming more and more frequent.

He'd learnt quite a lot about her in the past days and he was finding himself becoming attracted to her as a person and without the guidance of the force.

Which made it even more difficult for him to not give into his feelings.

He finished his workout and looked up at her.

He waved but she made no move to acknowledge him.

She appeared to be in her own little world.

He picked up his towel and made his way up the steps that would lead him to her.

She always had to break the rules.

She knew that she wasn't supposed to be out in the open on her own.

It didn't matter that there hadn't been so much as a stone out of place in the past four days, she was still in danger.

The fact that nothing had happened yet only made the danger more intense.

These people had a plan and they were working to their own timetable.

He reached the top of the steps and made his way round to the part of the balcony in which she was standing.

She had her back to him and he watched as she was looking around.

He started to walk up to her as she leaned over the edge, trying to find whatever it was that she'd lost.

He waited until she straightened again and then he put his hand over her eyes.

She gasped loudly and he felt her body shake with fear.

He slowly brought his lips up to her ear.

"Guess who?"

Her breathing came in quick short breaths as she brought up a hand to cover his one that lay across her eyes.

He let her take hold of his hand and gently pull it away.

His face wore a huge grin as she turned around but unfortunately she didn't seem to have found the funny side of his actions.

His next movement was to cover his arm where she hit him.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi you scared me half to death! I thought you were someone trying to kidnap me!"

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are when you're angry?"

He couldn't believe the words had left his mouth and by the look on Padme's face, neither could she.

He'd only meant to think them.

"Don't try to get around me by paying me a compliment. This is serious, you could have been anybody."

Now it was her turn for a telling off.

"You're absolutely right, I could have been anybody, which makes me have to ask you why you were out here on your own?"

She stood silent.

He knew that she was trapped and she knew it too.

"I.."

"You..?"

She let out a nervous sight and plastered an innocent smile on her face.

She took a step towards him and placed her hand on his forearm.

"Good morning Obi-Wan."

She started to rub his arm to distract him.

"Oh no, don't you think that you can get around me by using your female charm. You know full well that you're not supposed to go outside on your own. Anything could have happened."

She looked down at her feet.

"I know, I know. It won't happen again."

"Too right it won't."

She continued to stare at her feet and so he lightly hooked his hand under her chin and lifted her head to meet his eyes.

"Good morning Padme."  
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She was caught in his gaze and she found herself losing her hold on reality.

She had to swallow hard to get a grip on herself.

"Good morning Obi-Wan."

His smile was that of a predator who'd caught his prey, and she found herself unable to move.

She saw his eyes move to her lips and it was only then that she realised that her mouth was slightly ajar.

His thumb was stroking her chin and she was certain that he was going to kiss her.

Her throat went dry and her heart was beating fiercely as his face drifted towards hers.

She watched his eyes close just before her own did.

She felt his warm breath on her lips and it sent a trail of pleasure down her spine.

"Obi-Wan.."

His name escaped her mouth in a breathless whisper.

"Padme.."

His voice was deeper than usual.

"M'lady!"

They both jumped away from each other as Rabe walked around the corner.

"M'lady, there you are. I've been looking all over for you."

"Well you've found me."

Her heart was beating so fast that she felt like she was going to throw up.

She saw Rabe's attentions turn to Obi-Wan, who was looking out at the surrounding fields.

"Good morning Jedi Kenobi."

Her tone was slick and sweet.

Obi-Wan brought his eyes round to look at her.

"Good morning Rabe."

He quickly focused his attention back on her.

"Your highness, I'll just go and have a shower and then I shall meet you for breakfast. I'll be no more that 20 minutes."

She looked up but he would not meet her gaze.

"Very well Jedi Kenobi."

And with that he bowed to her and made his way inside.  
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He couldn't believe what they'd almost done, what he'd almost done!

He was a Jedi for force's sake!

He was supposed to have more control over himself.

What worried him most was that she'd wanted it to happen just as much as he had.

Her actions, thoughts and feelings had made that clear.

He turned the shower off and grabbed a towel.

He wished that the water had the power to wash away his troubles but he knew that unfortunately nothing in the universe had such power.

He dried himself and changed into a clean uniform.

Why did he have to choose that moment to follow the force's desires?

Now he had to face the rest of the day feeling stressed, tense and awkward.

Your fantastic sense of timing never seems to fail in getting you into trouble Kenobi.

Five more minutes and he'd be sitting across from her eating breakfast.

She probably hated him.

He knew he would.  
He let his head fall into his hands and then by using the force, lifted a towel over his wet hair and released it.

Once the fabric fell into place he started to rub his hair dry.

It was going to be a long day.  
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She was already seated when he entered the room.

She'd been so nervous that she'd had to sit down to keep herself from pacing the room.

Neither of the spoke as he made his way over to the table and sat down.

She prayed that he'd speak first.

But not a word was uttered for another long five minutes as they both sat and received their food.

Then as she was taking her first bite she heard the smooth sound of his voice.

"What did you have planned for today m'lady?"

She smiled to the gods as her silent prayer had been answered.

"Well I was hoping that we could possibly take a walk up the East Mountain. We could maybe take a picnic and make a day of it."

She didn't like the look on his face.

It was what she liked to call his 'I don't think so young lady' look.

He was just about to speak but she beat him to it.

"Don't worry, I know what you're going to say."

He looked confused.

"Excuse me? How do you know what I was going to say?"

She laughed.

"I can tell by the look on your face. You're going to say no because its too dangerous."

"I didn't have any look on my face."

"Yes you did and you know it."

He shook his head and laughed at her.

"Actually I was going to say that it was a great idea and yes we should go."

He nodded his head matter-of-factly.

She waved her finger at him.

"No you weren't, you can't fool me Obi-Wan Kenobi."

He laughed again.

"Do you want to go or not?"

"Yes I want to go."

"It's settled then. Today we're going to the East Mountain. Now eat your breakfast."

She mentally patted herself on the back for her victory.

But it was short lived.

"And don't think I don't know what you just did."

They both laughed and finished their meal.

It was going to be a long day.

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They'd been walking for two hours when they reached the end of yet another field.

They still had a long way to go until they reached the bottom of the mountain.

He didn't think that they'd have time to walk far up it before they would have to turn around and make their way back to the Chateau.

He stopped when he realised that he couldn't hear Padme following behind him.

He twisted round until his eyes found her.

There she stood, her calves hidden in the almost yellow grass, the wind blowing her hair back to reveal that her eyes were shut.

She looked free.

All he could do was stand and watch her in her moment of pure joy.

He took the opportunity to take in her appearance.

She was wearing a pale rose coloured sleeveless dress that hugged all her womanly curves, but wasn't tight. It did reveal quite a lot of her back though.

He'd thought that the dress was a little unpractical but she'd said that she'd be fine.

She was wearing flat shoes that were comfortable to walk in so she'd got that right.

He couldn't really complain about the portrait she painted, it would seem that it was absolutely impossible for her to look anything less than stunningly beautiful.

He let his gaze drift back up to her face and was surprised to find her eyes staring straight into his.

He'd been caught.

They stood in silence just looking at each other for what felt like forever, before she spoke.

"This is the spot."

He was confused by the comment.

"Excuse me?"

She walked towards him.

"This is the spot where we can eat lunch, its perfect."

She smiled at him as she reached for the basket he held in his hand.

Her fingers grazed his and she gasped as he stilled her hand with his.

She looked up into his eyes.

"Allow me."

He carefully pulled her hand aside and knelt down to the ground to take out the blanket for them to sit on.

He stood up to shake it out and the placed it on the ground.

He took Padme's hand as she lowered herself into a sitting position.

Then they both went about emptying the contents of the basket until they had everything they needed.

"Its such a beautiful day, don't you think Obi-Wan?"

She looked at him waiting for his answer.

He continued to hold her gaze while he answered.

"Yes, extremely beautiful."

It was plainly obvious that he'd been talking about her and not the weather and they both knew it.

A shy smile and a rosy blush crept onto her face as she turned away from him.

He stretched out his legs and leaned back on his elbow while he ate a few grapes.

He stared at the silky skin of her back.

The flesh looked so inviting, he found himself fighting the urge to reach out and brush his hand down its length.

Did she know how scandalous that dress was and the effect it was having on him?

He was distracted from his thoughts when she turned her head round to him and rested her chin on the tip of her shoulder.

He looked up into the two endless pools of chocolate brown that were her eyes.

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about your childhood."

"What?"

"Tell me about your childhood."

"Why would you want to know about that?"

No one had ever been interested in his past before.

She sighed.

"I don't know, I guess I'd like to know what goes on inside the Jedi Temple and how you became who you are."

He studied her for a minute before replying.

"I have to say that this is the first tie anyone has asked me to do this but if its what you want.?"

He paused for her to answer.

"Its what I want."

He nodded.

"Very well then, where shall I start?"

He looked to her.

She smiled sweetly at him.

"At the beginning."  
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The hours had flown by as she sat and listened to the tales of Obi-Wan's youth.

She was now lying down and using his shins as a pillow, as he continued with another story of Qui-Gon and his insistent need to pick up strays.

She'd been watching him closely the whole time that he'd been talking.

Despite the occasional lump in his throat at a particularly painful memory of Qui-Gon, this had been the happiest she had seen Obi-Wan.

He had a far off look in his eyes as, she was sure, he was picturing the scene he was describing.

During this time spent here she'd been privileged to learn ore about that man that was Obi-Wan Kenobi and not confined to his Jedi persona.

She had a feeling that not many people knew the man behind the lightsabre.

She knew he'd shared something special with her today and she was flattered that he trusted her enough to do so.

He'd finished his last story and was now looking straight at her.

"I'm sorry if I was boring you. I can go on a bit once I get started."

He looked down and began to play with a loose strand of fabric from the blanket.

Oh no, she hadn't meant for her quiet daydreaming to make him think she wasn't listening.

She reached out her hand to hold onto his; his head sprang up at the contact.

"You weren't boring me Obi-Wan, please don't think that. I was just trying to imagine the scene in my own mind. Thank you for sharing this with me."

He smiled and squeezed her hand.

"You're welcome."

She watched motionless as he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft and heated kiss on the skin.

"I suppose we really ought to be getting back, it'll be dark by the time we get there."

She sat up and shuffled herself closer to him, so that she could look into his more clearly.

"No Obi-Wan, please lets stay for a while longer. I don't want this tie to end just yet. Maybe we could go walking a little further and then we can head back."

She couldn't believe that she, the Queen of Naboo, was on her hands and knees, begging for something.

He probably thought she was so childish.

"As you wish m'lady, we'll go on a bit further."

She couldn't help herself; she threw her arms around hi and pulled him tightly against her.

It took him a few seconds to relax and return the hug.

"Thank you Obi-Wan. You won't regret it."

He laughed and pulled her away from hi so that she was looking at him.

"Then why do I get the feeling that I might?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part VI.

He looked up at the sky for what felt like the millionth time.

It had got darker much sooner than he'd hoped and they still hadn't started to head back to the Chateau.

The growing darkness was all because of the enormous storm clouds above them.

He should have insisted that they turn around when he first noticed them forming but he'd let her win again.

This time she was ahead of him and in fact was a little too far ahead for his liking.

He called out to her.

"Padme, I really do think its time we started to head back, its getting dark quickly and this storm could begin any minute. Everyone will be worrying about us."

She'd stopped about 15 metres away from him.

He saw her look up at the sky and the back at him.

"Don't worry so much Obi-Wan, it's a passing storm, it's not going to open itself here."

And it seemed that that was all the encouragement the clouds needed, as rain rushed down to meet them on the ground.

He could see Padme's bright blush from where he stood.

"I think you're wrong."

He laughed at the utter look of embarrassment on her face.

He decided to close the distance between them seeing as she didn't look like she was going to move.

The first streak of lightning cut across the sky as he reached her and she immediately clung to him.

He had to admit he was surprised he wouldn't have thought Padme the type to be scared of storms.

Her body shook as the first clang of thunder sounded.

He held her tightly against his chest and stroked her hair.

"Shhh, shhhh, its ok Padme, there's nothing to be afraid of."

He tried to comfort her but as the intensity of the storm grew so did Padme's shaking.

She lifted her head up from beneath his chest and looked at him with watery eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just really hate thunder storms, its stupid I know but I can't help it."

He could tell that she was frustrated at her behaviour, he could feel it radiating off her aura.

"Hey its ok, lots of people are afraid of them, its nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know but I still feel stupid. What are we going to do? We can't go back now and there isn't anyone who can come get us."

She was right, they couldn't go back to the Chateau, they'd be too exposed to the weather.

The only option they had was to try and either find or build some sort of shelter.

He took a long hard look at their surroundings.

Right now they were in a deep part of the forest and therefore they would be kept dry for a while by the trees.

He couldn't see any caves or such in the immediate area and so it was obvious that he would have to build them a temporary roof to keep them dry overnight.

He felt Padme shudder again as the thunder roared for a second time.

He had to calm her down and build their shelter as soon as possible; the tree wouldn't keep the dry forever.

He hadn't realised but his hands were softly stroking down her bare back.

Her skin had to be the softest thing he'd ever felt.

His actions had seemed to soothe her a little and her hold on him began to weaken.

He persuaded his hands to leave the skin of her back and moved them up her body to gently hold her head.

Looking down at her, he saw for the first time just how fragile she could be.

Her eyes were pleading with him to make the thunder go away, to do something to make her feel safe again.

"Padme, I'm going to have to build us a basic shelter, there's no where for us to go so we'll have to stay here."

She nodded her agreement.

"Now I'm going to need you to sit under this tree on your own while I do so, you'll be alright, I'll only be right here. It won't take me long. Is that ok with you?"

He let his thumbs gently graze her cheeks as he waited for her to speak.

"Yes its fine, I'll be ok."

"Good. Now you take a seat down here."

They walked to a tree and Padme got settled on the lumpy roots that broke the soil.

Obi-Wan gathered the picnic basket and blanket and put them next to her.

"Here take this, it'll keep you warm."

He took his robe out of the basket and wrapped it round her shoulders.

"But you'll need it."

He held up his hands as a gesture of refusal.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Thank you."

He inclined his head to her and turned to start his work.  
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She hugged her legs tightly to her chest as lightning flashed across the dark and menacing sky again.

Why did she have to insist that they keep walking?

If they'd left when Obi-Wan first suggested it then they'd be there by now, drinking a mug of heavenly hot chocolate, instead she sat partially shielded from the rain by a tree while Obi-Wan worked himself to exhaustion, building them a modest shelter.

She stared through the pouring rain to check his progress.

He'd only been working for 30 minutes and he already had the framework completed and was now in the process of weaving leaves and twigs together to cover the structure.

He was drenched from head to toe ad had to be freezing but still he continued with his task.

She felt guilty as she pulled the warmth of his robe tighter against her shivering body.

He needed it more than she did at the moment but every time she offered it to him he politely but firmly refused and forbid her from removing it.

She was the one who'd got them into this mess and she should be the one to get them out of it.

She didn't feel worthy of the warmth and comfort that his robe provided, she hadn't earned them.

Nor did she think that she'd earned the loyalty and care that he'd shown her.

Thunder rocked the sky again and her body began to shiver ore violently from her childhood fear of it.

She focused her attention back onto Obi-Wan in an attempt to take her mind off the chaos that the weather had created.

She was amazed at just how calm he was out in the open with the wind and rain beating against him while she was a bit of a wreck just sitting under a tree.

His concentration was paramount as he carefully fed through another leaf.

She noticed for the first time that some of the leaves were being woven together without the help of Obi-Wan's hands.

For only the second time she was seeing the force in motion.

Many people questioned whether the force actually existed but she didn't think anyone could if they were witness to it, just like she was right now.

At this rate he would be finished in a matter of minutes and then they'd both be able to relax and hopefully get some sleep.

But first they'd need something to eat.

She pulled the basket in front of her and started to rummage inside to take stock of what they had left.

There were a few sandwiches, cakes, as well as some other snack type foods that they could eat.

There was also some water that they could drink cold or they could try and boil it in some way, so that they could have tea or coffee.

At least they were well prepared; she didn't know what they would have had to do if they hadn't had their picnic.

They also had the blanket to either lay on or keep them war through the night.

Then her mind wandered a little off topic as it imagined something else they could do to keep war.

Her cheeks flushed as the image played out in her mind.

Where had that come from?

Padme now was not the time to be thinking lustful thoughts.

This time it wasn't the thunder or lightning that made her almost jump out of her skin; it was the unexpected reappearance of Obi-Wan by her side.  
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He hadn't meant to scare her but that was what had happened.

"Its ok Padme, its only me. Just wanted to tell you that I'm finished."

All she did was stare at him and he began to think that the words hadn't registered in her mind.

"Is everything ok?"

Here cheeks were a little flushed and he thought that she might be coming down with something, so he checked her forehead to make sure she wasn't running a temperature.

The touch seemed to have brought her out of whatever daydream she was caught in ad she quickly pulled her head away.

"Yes I'm fine, you made me jump that's all. So you're finished?"

He nodded and looked round to inspect his handy work.

It wasn't much but the combination of leaves and twigs would keep the dry, which was all they needed.

He looked back at Padme.

"Your castle awaits."

She laughed in a girlie tone that touched his heart.

He stood up and carried the basket over to the shelter that was only just wide enough for them to lay in but it would be a tight fit, and it was only tall enough for him to sit upright with a couple of inches space above that.

He'd be in extremely close contact with her but he was confident that he would be able to get through the night without a major incident.

He felt Padme come up behind him with the blanket and still wearing his robe.

"After you."

He stepped aside and allowed her to crawl inside first and get settled, then once she was ready he entered and sat beside her.

Before he could do anything else she quickly took hold of his arm.

"Thank you Obi-Wan."

Her eyes were piercing and he couldn't break her gaze, which she was using to display the height of her gratitude.

He placed his hand atop of hers and squeezed it gently.

"Your welcome."  
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She held his gaze a little while longer and she could feel the beginnings of some unseen force pulling her towards him but before she could act on it Obi-Wan quickly looked away.

"I guess I shouldn't thank you too soon, I mean we don't know if it's going to stand up all night yet."

She laughed nervously at the slight look of confusion on his face but it wasn't long until he joined her.

"Are you trying to imply that I have dodgy workmanship?"

"We'll soon see."

She laughed again.

"I'll have you know that I came top of y survival class and am quite well experienced when it comes to building shelters."

He was teasingly waving his finger in front of her face and she was half tempted to latch on to it with her tongue and draw it into her mouth.

She swallowed hard as her mouth started to water at the thought.

"Let's hope you haven't lost your touch."

The words had left her mouth before registering in her mind and she definitely hadn't planned for her voice to sound that seductive.

She saw his eyes cloud over and become as deep and dark as the ocean.

He was just about to speak but she beat him to it.

"So while you were busy making this, I took a look in the basket and we still have plenty of food left. You must be hungry after all that work."

He was staring idly when he answered.

"Famished."

She turned round to retrieve their basket and began taking things out for him to eat.

"Well come on, eat up, otherwise I'll eat it all myself."

He laughed quietly and they both tucked into their dinner.  
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They'd eaten most of the food but had managed to save a few bits for breakfast.

It was late and the storm was still going strong, he just hoped that it would let up by the morning, there was no way that they'd make it through another night.

He watched Padme stifle a yawn.

"I guess its time we did try to get some sleep, otherwise its going to be a long night."

"I suppose you're right. What shall we do? We can both lay on your robe and use the blanket for cover or vice versa. What do you think?"

He pushed his hand through his hair a few times as he thought about the options.

"We'll lay on the blanket, my robes thicker and it'll preserve more warmth."

"Ok then, well if you wouldn't mind moving the I shall get it all sorted out."

She forced him to sit at the edge of the opening as she carefully laid out the blanket on the bed of the forest.

She then took off his robe and her exposed skin to the cold night air, which caused it to turn to goose pimples.

"Ready?"

She was looking straight at him.

"Yes."

He crawled back to where he'd been sitting before and started to lie down.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Her question confused him.

"I'm going to lay down ad then I'm hopefully going to fall asleep."

"Obi-Wan you can't go to sleep in those wet clothes, you'll catch your death."

Now he was even more confused, what other choice did he have?

"What would you like me to do?"

"You'll have to take them off."

"I beg your pardon!"

She couldn't be serious.

"Obi-Wan you know as well as I do that you can't sleep in them. At least take your tunics off."

She was right, he couldn't sleep in them but he couldn't take them off in her presence either, it wouldn't be right.

But it seemed that Padme didn't care about that as she reached for the rim of his tunics.

He quickly stilled her hands with his own.

"Padme I..."

She interrupted hi as she began to pull the material up.

"Don't worry Obi-Wan, I've seen it all be..."

Her voice drifted off as she finished pulling the wet cloth up and over his head.

He closed his eyes and willed the force to get hi through this with them both unscathed but it appeared that the force had something else in mind.

All thought ceased to exist and he found it hard to breathe as he felt the feather light touches of her fingertips against the flesh of his chest.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw the shocked look on her face.

She let her hand travel down the length of his abdomen and it didn't see like she was going to stop there.

He had enough presence of mind to stop her hand from moving any lower, if it had then there was no telling what the consequences might be.

She looked into his eyes and he knew that she could see the struggle going on inside him because he could see the same thing going on inside her.

The force was pushing him to her and he couldn't fight it any longer.

He took a deep breath and slowly leaned in the couple of inches that separated them and let his lips catch hers.  
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Her body came alive the second his lips touched hers.

Every nerve ending sparking with electricity and her blood pumping wildly through her veins.

His kiss had started out gentle and somewhat timid but she soon felt his tongue lick her bottom lip and the sensation forced her to open her mouth.

He excepted the invitation as he slipped his hand into her hair and round to the back of her neck to deepen their kiss.

She didn't let her hands lay idle either, as she gripped his neck and ran them down his chest.

Then just as she was beginning to deal with the assault on her senses, Obi- Wan suddenly pulled away.

She found her body gasping for the air it had been deprived of while she frantically searched his for what, she didn't know.

He still held her head as he continued to say nothing.

"Obi-Wan?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"What? I..."

"I'm sorry Padme, please forgive me. You have to understand, Jedi we're not supposed to.. It's forbidden for us to..."

It was then that it dawned on her what he was about to say and she didn't think she would be able to handle it if he said the words.

"Its ok Obi-Wan, I'm sorry too. I don't know what came over me. There's nothing to forgive, I understand."

A Jedi shall not know love.  
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The gentle pitter-patter of the rain filtered into her ears as she lay in a semiconscious state under their handmade shelter.

The next thing she was aware of was the strong, and quite heavy, arm of the Jedi hanging protectively round her slender waist.

She'd never woke to the feeling of someone holding her before and she found it a little odd but certainly not unpleasant.

She lay spooned against him and the contact between the bare skin of her back and his chest made her feel naked beneath the blanket that was his robe.

She heard him sigh from behind her and she snuggled further into the comfort of his arms.

She felt so safe within the confines of them and didn't have any intention of moving.

Her thoughts took her back to the events of last night and the awkwardness that had followed their kiss.

It had taken a lot to convince Obi-Wan that she wasn't angry with him and that it hadn't all been his fault, that she was to blame too.

Tension filled the air as they both lay down as far away from each other as possible, she on her side facing away from him and he on his back.

The eruption of feelings in her body had tormented her for a long time and caused sleep to elude her.

She lay awake listening to the sound of his breathing, wondering if she would ever feel his lips on hers again.

She thought it cruel that she should be allowed to experience the pleasure and happiness that his kiss brought but then have it snatched from her.

The saying 'It is better to have loved and lost than to have ever loved at all' sprang to mind but at that point in time she drew no comfort from it.

She didn't fully understand her feelings for Obi-Wan, all she knew was that they went far beyond friendship and a little girl's crush.

She was scared to put a label on her feelings for him, scared to acknowledge what they really were because once she did there would be no turning back.

It was torture and her heart ached to have him so close.

As she had slowly descended into sleep she'd felt him brush her hair and heard the whisper of his voice but had been unable to make out the words.

And that brought her back to the present and the wonderful feeling of being held tightly against his well-formed body.

She decided that she could live the rest of her life out here cradled in his arms and be completely content.

She wished that life could be that simple but unfortunately it never would be for her.

She would have to cherish this moment while it lasted, which wouldn't be for much longer as she felt Obi-Wan stirring to life.

She didn't want him to know that she was awake so she closed her eyes and faked sleep.  
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For some time the force had been gradually guiding him to the conscious world against his will and he was finally awake.

The soft smell of Jasmine filled his senses and he reached out with the force to become fully aware of his surroundings.

He was greeted by the strong presence of Padme wrapped in his arms and a quick peak with one eye and a deep breath told him that the sweet smell of Jasmine was coming from her hair.

He was certain he hadn't fallen asleep holding her like this and it was fairly obvious that the force had been at work through the night and forced this predicament upon him.

He didn't have a clue how he was going to explain this to her.

She shifted a little in his arms and the sensation of skin to skin contact struck him and he had to stifle a moan.

Her skin was pure silk and a complete contrast to that of the slightly rough skin on his chest.

His thoughts flashed back to their kiss last night and he struggled to find his centre.

That kiss had been a mistake no matter how much the force had willed its existence.

He should have been stronger.

Some Jedi he was turning out to be the first sign of temptation and he was giving into it.

But he'd learned last night that she wasn't just a temptation, no she was much more than that and it was that that worried him.

His feelings for her were very real and not just fuelled with desire.

The force seeked their union for a higher purpose, this much he knew but what purpose he couldn't tell.

It was when he'd kissed her that the reality of his feelings had surfaced.

He'd tried meditating over them but his centre had been elusive so he had settled for just lying quietly sorting through it all in his mind.

He'd come to the conclusion that he couldn't keep his feelings buried deep inside anymore and he had to confront them and speak them aloud.

He'd waited till he felt her slipping into sleep.

Then he sat up and looked down at her beautiful face and lightly stroked her hair away from it and prepared himself for the moment of truth.

In a hushed whisper he finally said the words.

"Padme, I love you."

The force had rejoiced with the admission and finally allowed him to fall into a deep sleep.

With it his troubles had disappeared only to resurface in the light of day.

He lifted his head to find her eyes closed but a quick probe with the force told him that she was indeed awake.

He thought it best if he went along with her little game; she'd only be embarrassed if he announced that he knew she was awake.

He reluctantly removed his arm from around her waist and used it to stroke her bare arm with feather light touches from beneath his robe.

He watched the corners of her mouth twitch as she fought to contain the fits of giggles that he knew begged for release as he continued to tickle her flesh.

He lowered his lips to her ear.

"Wakey wakey Padme."

She now had a wide grin on her face and he began to tickle her more vigorously.

She broke the silence with her high pitched laughter and she wriggled violently to try and stop him.

He didn't know why he'd decided that this would be the best way to 'wake' her.

Her rash movements against his body were only serving to arouse him and he knew he should stop her but he didn't want her to.

He tickled her sides and she began to cry out for him to stop.

"Obi-Wan, please, oh oh please."

She was out of breath and her face was flushed, if anyone were to go by right now they would easily get the wrong idea as to what the two were doing.  
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She couldn't take it any longer.

She thought she was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen her body was receiving.

She somehow managed to turn so that she was facing Obi-Wan.

He became distracted at the new angle and she took full advantage of it.

She quickly nudged his shoulder so that he would fall onto his back and straddled his hips while she pinned his arms above his head.

Her grip was tight but she had no doubt that he could free himself if he wished to do so.

Her face was only a couple of inches above his and she had to fight the desperate urge to kiss him.  
She moved her hips against his to make herself more comfortable and she felt a bump beneath her and moved over it again.

She watched his eyes roll back into his head and heard the quiet groan that escaped his mouth.

She knew all about sex but had never put the knowledge into practice and right now her naivety was getting her into all sorts of trouble.

She couldn't help herself as she let her hips rock against his for a third time.

He let out another groan and his face was a mixture of delight and pain.

The moment was short lived though as he suddenly grabbed her hands and flipped them over, his face deadly serious as he looked down at her.

"Please don't do that."

He had to control his breathing before speaking again.

"I'm sorry I should have had more control over myself."

"I'm sorry too, my curiosity got the best of me and I didn't think."

"It's ok, it's all forgotten now."

They were silent for a few minutes as they still remained in the same position, but Obi-Wan soon spoke.

"I think it's time we started heading back."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part VII.

They'd been walking through the now light drizzle for three hours and the Chateau was finally in sight.

It was only a matter of minutes until they would be back within its warmth.

He took a sideways glance at Padme.

The air had been chilly all day and he'd made her wear his robe, which was three times too big for her and managed to completely envelope her body.

His robe had never looked as good on him as it did on her right now.

He'd never be able to look at it again without picturing the image that was in front of him right now.

He shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the thoughts that were running through his mind.

He didn't want to go down that road.

They hadn't spoken much since the activities of this morning and that had been mainly his fault.

He'd been busy trying to sort it all out in his head.

He couldn't believe that he'd let it go that far, he should have had the strength of mind to stop it sooner.

He'd allowed his emotions to control him and not only his emotions but the force as well.

Qui-Gon had always told him to live in the moment and let the force flow naturally.

That was exactly what he'd done this morning and if he had allowed it to continue then it would have destroyed him.

He'd already broken one vow of the code by falling in love with her, if he were to act on that love than he would have forfeited his place in the order.

He couldn't dishonour Qui-Gon that way; he'd never forgive himself.

There were good reasons why Jedi were forbidden to love and he had to respect that.

He wasn't sure if he was strong enough to resist his feelings though, not when it was the force's wish that he do the complete opposite.

You're screwed Kenobi.

Either way these feelings are going to eat away at you and in the end will lead to your destruction.

But maybe, just maybe, he would be able to love her fully and still keep to the light.

Why else had the force chosen this for him?

Maybe he would be the exception?

It was definitely a possibility.  
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She looked over at him again as they continued to walk towards their final destination.

He'd been in his own little world all morning and he had barely said a word.

The silence was making her nervous.

She prayed that he wasn't too upset about this morning.

It was like she'd told him, her curiosity had got the best of her.

She hadn't ever seen the male body up that close before and the desire to learn all she could had taken over.

She'd felt empowered by the way that he'd responded.

It was a rush to know that it was her that had aroused him and made him lose control a bit.

She only wished that it had lasted longer.

They were almost at the entrance of the Chateau and she couldn't wait to get back into the comfort of her own bed.

It was only midday but she felt like she could sleep forever.

"Well here we are, home sweet home."

It had been so long since she'd heard the sound of his voice that it felt like she was hearing it for the first time.

"Yes, here we are."

His hand on her arm stopped her from reaching the door.

His eyes locked onto hers as he spoke.

"I just wanted to say..."

Before he could finish his sentence the door flew open and she was pulled into the strong embrace of a very relieved looking Rabe.

"M'lady! Oh thank the gods you're safe! We thought they might have captured you."

"What are you talking about?"

Obi-Wan had asked the question before she had the chance.

"Last night some men broke in and raided the place searching for you."

Rabe paused for a moment as the emotion over took her voice and she couldn't speak.

She held Rabe at arms length so that she could look into her eyes.

Her handmaiden was really upset, there was no need, she was safe and these men hadn't taken her.

"Hey Rabe, its ok, I'm fine. Obi-Wan and I got caught in the storm last night, so we took shelter up in the forest. I'm back now."

She stroked her handmaiden's hair soothingly and was angry with herself again for not listening to Obi-Wan yesterday when he said that they should return.

If they'd come back then, Rabe wouldn't have had to have got herself in this state.

Obi-Wan stepped forward and placed his hand on Rabe's back.

"Did they leave any message? Was anyone hurt?"

Rabe managed to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"No sir no one was hurt, just a little shaken. It all happened so quickly, there was nothing we could do. Once they realised that m'lady wasn't here they went as quickly as they came."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"All they said was that it wasn't over and that they would get the Queen eventually and they would be back."

She turned her attention back to Padme.

"When you didn't return we feared the worst. We thought they might have captured you while you were on your way back. Oh its such a relief to see you safe."

She pulled Rabe close to her and held her tightly.

"I'm sorry I made you worry."

She looked up at Obi-Wan.

"Jedi Kenobi, I'm going to retire to my room and spend some time with my handmaidens. I'll see you at dinner."

She hated having to speak to him in such a reserved manner but it was the way it had to be.

She saw the understanding in his eyes and his warm smile put he at ease.

"Very well m'lady. I shall take a look around and see if I can find anything that may help us. Keep your com unit on and don't hesitate to call me if you need assistance."

She nodded and then Rabe and herself made their way to her room.

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He'd searched the Chateau high and low for any clue that the attackers may have left but he'd found nothing.

They'd done a good job of making sure they didn't leave a mark.

It would seem that they weren't afraid at the possibility of have to face a Jedi Knight to get to their target.

He was far from worried about that though.

At the moment he wasn't worried about anything.

He was in deep meditation and had been for a few hours.

And now as he began to exit the serenity of the force, he felt like his soul had been thoroughly cleansed.

It had definitely been what the healer had ordered and now he was relaxed and refreshed.

He slowly stretched his stiff limbs and checked the time.

It was the 17th hour and he'd be meeting Padme for their evening meal within the next standard hour.

He hadn't heard a peep from her since this afternoon and he found that he'd missed her presence dearly.

He'd needed the time away from her to refocus his mind and it had worked.

His meditation had guided him to the course of action that he needed to take in order to ensure her safety and he'd decided that it would be put in place tonight.

It would be risky and he didn't think that it would help the situation between them but it was the only way that he could protect her properly.  
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She stood at the opening of the main window as she waited for Obi-Wan to arrive for dinner.

The night air was cool and refreshing against her golden skin.

The day had gone by so quickly and she had nothing to show for it.

If she had been at the palace then her day would have been filled with meetings and stacks of paper work.

She spared a thought for Sabe and hoped that the workload wasn't too much.

It wasn't fair that Sabe should have to be doing her job while she stayed out here and enjoyed the days as if on holiday.

She was distracted as she heard the door opening and prepared herself for Obi-Wan's entrance.

She turned expecting to see his familiar Jedi clothes but was surprised to find him in slightly baggy black leggings and a dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to mid-arm.

Looking at him now, with those sea blue eyes, she realised just how empty the day had been without him.

Without his infectious smile, without his clever wit and without his touch.

She'd missed the occasional light brush of his hand on her arm as they spoke and just the nearness of him.

It had only been six hours since she'd last seen him but she had felt his absence significantly.

Her heart began to race as he walked slowly over to her.

"I don't think it's entirely wise that you stand in front of that open window. You'd be and easy target for the worst of shots."

She rolled her eyes at him.

Trust his first words to be serious and about business.

"Oh Obi-Wan, why must you always think about duty?"

His eyes were serious as he took her hand into his own.

She took a moment to study his hands; they were rough from years of hard work and much larger than her own.

"I do not think of it as duty Padme, I think of it as protecting the life of someone very dear to me."

She bowed her head in shame at her words.

"I'm sorry Obi-Wan and thank you for caring."

"Well there's that reason and the fact that it wouldn't look good for me if my first mission as a knight ended a failure. So you'd be doing me a huge favour if you stepped away from the window."

Her jaw dropped open and he started laughing.

He'd tricked her in a cruel way and she wasn't about to let him get away with it.

She was just about to hit him and begin her verbal abuse when he quickly covered her mouth with his hand and held her arms down with the help of the force.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't resist. In all honesty though, it really isn't a good idea that you stand here, anyone could be watching. Now I'll let you go if you promise not to hate me."

She wanted to laugh at his choice of words.

There was no way she could hate him, she loved him.

Her eyes widened at the realisation.

She hadn't wanted to think about the meaning of her feelings for him but she couldn't deny the truth to herself anymore.

She loved him and that was that.

"Well? Do you agree?"

She looked back at him and slowly nodded her head.

"Great, now we can eat dinner."

"Yeah. Great."  
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They'd just finished dessert and he still hadn't told her of his new plan.

He was nervous about the whole thing but he was running out of time and he couldn't afford to be nervous any longer.

"Err. Padme, I have something to tell you."

She neatly laid her serviette on the table and looked up at him with her wide brown eyes.

"Sure go ahead."

"It concerns your protection and a need to change the arrangements that we have at the moment."

"Is there a problem? Do you think we should leave?"

He shook his head before speaking.

"No I don't think we should leave, after all where would we go? But we do need to make a few changes to your security. I feel that its too dangerous for you to be left alone in the night, especially since we know that these men can get in and out."

He paused to make sure that his words were sinking in.

"Continue."

He took a deep breath and pulled the force around him.

"The only way that I can guarantee your safety is if I stay with you, in your room, through the night."

There he'd said it, now that wasn't so bad.

She stared into his eyes but it felt like she way daydreaming rather than looking at him.

Her cheeks began to turn pink and he felt her temperature rise through the force.

She was shielding her mind and therefore he couldn't get a fix on what she was thinking.

She still hadn't said anything and he was beginning to worry.

"I'm sorry, I know it would be an intrusion on what little privacy you have but it's the only effective solution we have."

The sound of his voice had broken her dream.

"No, no, I understand. If you think that it's the only option we have then I trust you, it'll be fine."

Their hot drinks arrived and she busied herself with getting hers to her liking.

He watched her hand shake as she stirred her drink with a spoon and covered her hand with his own to stop her.

"What's wrong?"

Her eyes were watery as she gazed at him from across the table and he could literally smell the fear coming off her.

"I don't know why I've let it get to me but do you really think that it's so serious that you have to stay with me?"

Her eyes were begging him to say no and that he was just being over protective but unfortunately he couldn't say that.

"I'm afraid it is that serious Padme. These people now know the layout of this place and they've probably been watching for some sort of routine. My presence doesn't seem to have bothered them but if I'm with you at all times then I know that they won't be able to lay a finger on you."

He slowly rubbed his thumb in small circles over the back of her hand.

"I won't let them touch you Padme, you have my word. I'll die before I let them hurt you."

She gave him a shaky smile and a tear fell from her eye at his words.

He quickly reached over and wiped the tear from her cheek.

She raised her hand and used it to hold his in place.

"I don't deserve you."

He was surprised at the statement and found himself speechless.

"Now drink up."

And with that she released his hand and picked up her cup.  
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She'd been in her bathroom for half an hour now, getting ready for bed.

He'd think she'd fallen down the toilet if she didn't come out soon.

It was stupid but she had to admit that she was a little scared at going back in there.

In all the short 18 years that she had bee alive, never had a man seen her in her night-gown or shared her room.

She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious.

Part of her wished that her choice of sleepwear wasn't so revealing and hoped that she could slip back into the room unnoticed.

But the other part of her thanked the garment for subtly showing off her assets and wanted to see him burning with desire the moment he laid eyes on her.

She sighed.

Going to bed had never been this stressful before, she would have gladly gone through last night all over again instead of this.

She checked herself over in the mirror one last time.

Her hair was perfect and she thought that she didn't look too bad without her make-up, she had been tempted to keep it on but that would be ridiculous.

She made her way over to the door and let her hand hover over the knob before gripping it firmly.

She took a deep breath.

Well here goes nothing.  
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He heard the door open from his position in front of the window.

She'd finally decided to join him then.

He knew that women liked to take their time when getting ready to go out but he never thought that the same thing applied when getting ready for bed.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, I can not believe that after what you said to me, not even four hours ago, about standing in front of open windows, that you have the audacity to do so yourself."

He chuckled and didn't look at her while he answered.

"The reason that I can do it and you can't is that I would sense, hear, see and smell any danger coming towards me a mile off."

He laughed again ad turned round to see her reaction.

Upon seeing her, his laughter got stuck in his throat and he almost choked on it.

The sight of her in her baby pink silk night-gown was overwhelming his senses.

At first he thought that she was naked but then the light had caught the material and both relief and disappointment had come over him.

Thankfully she hadn't been looking at him and was unaware of his reaction.

"Well I still don't think its fair."

He saw her head start to look up and he quickly looked away.

"No it's not but that's the way it is. If you were a Jedi the I wouldn't have any problems standing where I am but you're not."

"If I were a Jedi the we wouldn't be here."  
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She didn't like the serious tone, in which the conversation had taken and decided to end it by making his way to her bed.

She noticed that Obi-Wan started to make his way in the same area.

She lifted the covers and got in the empty bed.

"Where will you be staying?"

He indicated the chair that was sitting just a couple of metres away from the side of the bed.

"This will do me just fine."

"You won't be able to sleep on that thing."

"Padme, I wouldn't be very good protection if I fell asleep on the job."

"So when do you intend to sleep?"

"I can go without sleep for a few days, my meditations will keep me rested. Now don't worry about me and go to sleep."

She nodded and settled down on her side, facing him, while he turned off the light and sat in the chair.

"Goodnight then."

"Goodnight Padme."

She closed her eyes and attempted to sleep.

Normally she would be out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow but tonight it wasn't working.

She could feel his eyes watching her I the dark.

She was never going to be able to sleep this way.

She reached for the lamp on her bedside table and turned it on dimly.

"What's a matter?"

She decided to be straightforward and blunt.

"I can't sleep with you watching me, it's unsettling."

He shifted in the chair.

"Don't be silly, of course you can, you'll get used to it and when you're too tired to care you'll be asleep in no time."

She sat up in her bed.

"I'm not being silly, why don't you try it and see how if feels?"

"Ok then but you know I'm right."

"Just be quiet and close your eyes."

He did as she said.

She got out of the bed and stood beside it.  
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He couldn't believe that they were doing this but if it was the only way to prove her wrong the so be it.

"Now, can you feel it? Feel my eyes moving over every inch of your body, silently taking in every detail."

The air was becoming charged between them and her voice had taken on a seductive tone.

"I could be anywhere but it feels like I'm everywhere at once, you feel smothered."

She really had to stop talking because with each word he was becoming more turned on.

He could sense her walking the few paces that would lead her to him, through the force.

The hairs on his arms began to stand on end from the excitement of her approach and he was finding it hard to breathe evenly.

"Can you feel me Obi-Wan?"

"Yes."

"Open your eyes."

He did as she said and they revealed her to be standing directly in front of him.

He tilted his head upwards so that he could look into her eyes.

They had become a darker brown and he could quite clearly see the desire in them but there was also something else that he couldn't read.

He lifted his hand to cup her cheek and she welcomed the touch by leaning into his hand.

Her next words were barely audible but he would have heard them in the loudest of rooms.

"Kiss me."

He didn't have to be told twice.

He slowly pulled her face down to his and looked into her eyes deeply, then he gently kissed her.

Her lips were soft and sweet as he allowed himself to take his time.

He needed her to be closer, needed to feel her against him, so he hooked his other arm round her waist and brought her down to straddle him in the chair.

She moaned in his mouth as their bodies met and this time it was her tongue he could feel begging for entrance into his mouth.

He gladly gave her permission and reaped the benefits.

His hands held her hips against his and could feel the heat radiating from her centre.

Her hands ran through his hair and every now and then one of her nails would scrape his scalp and would make him moan deep in his throat.

They finally broke apart in need for air but he soon started to kiss a trail from her jaw, down her throat and rested on her collarbone.

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She was experiencing a sensory overload and she never wanted it to end.

She held his head in place at her collarbone, she never wanted the feeling of his lips on her skin to stop.

He touched a particularly sensitive spot and it made her cry out and grind her hips into his.

Her night-gown had hitched up to reveal the full length of her legs and was bunched up round her waist.

And with the lack of material she could easily feel just how aroused he was.

She could feel the liquid pooling to her centre.

She needed to kiss him again, so she pulled his head away from her neck and sought out his lips.

As their tongues fought for dominance, she rocked her hips against his, only to build the knot in her stomach more rather than release it.

They pulled away from each other.

The moment took her and before she knew what she was doing the words had already left her mouth.

"I love you."  
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Her words had brought him back to reality and all motion stopped.

He stared into her beautiful eyes and stroked her hair without saying a word.

He knew that she was worried that she'd done something wrong but he needed to take his time.

"I love you too."

A wide smile crept onto her face and she leaned down to kiss him again.

As he kissed her he knew that he wouldn't let it go any further than this.

He respected and loved her too much to let it be any other way.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part VIII.

She felt the heat of the morning sun bathe her skin and wished that she could stay like this for the whole day.

Today was definitely the first day of the rest of her life.

She was in love ad had the love of the most fascinating man she had ever met.

She still found it hard to believe that he actually loved her.

She smiled as she remembered the feel of his lips exploring her body and the moment when he'd said the simple three words that had made her the happiest woman that had ever lived.

They had spent a long time in that chair kissing, caressing, teasing and loving.

The desire between them had cooled and they sat just holding one another, enjoying the comfort that it brought.

Eventually they had parted and she had returned to her bed but this time she had the pleasure of being tucked in by Obi-Wan.

He'd sat beside her for 10 minutes just stroking her face and hair, never once uttering a single word.

He kissed her goodnight and retreated back to his chair.

She'd watched him for a while and he didn't fidget under her scrutiny, only stared right back at her.

She wanted to remember the way he looked that night for eternity and regretted the moment that her eyes closed and she surrendered to sleep.

She stretched her limps and sighed loudly in her bed.

Her eyes finally opened but didn't find what they had hoped would be looking back at them.

Obi-Wan's chair was empty.

She sat up straight ad her eyes franticly searched the room for any sign of him but found none.

Where had he gone?

She'd expected him to be here when she woke up.

Maybe he'd left to change or he could have gone to the bathroom, he probably didn't think it was important that he stay now that it was morning.

Oh stop being so needy Padme.

Pull yourself together.

She gazed at the foot of the bed and it was then that she saw the spiky hair that belonged to the man that sat on the floor.

She let out a sigh of relief.

There he was.

She slowly and quietly crawled down to the end of her bed, wanting to surprise him.

She met her destination and took a good look at the object of her affection.

His face was one of complete concentration.

He sat with his legs crossed and rested his hands on his knees.

She guessed from his position that he was in meditation.

He probably didn't even realise that she was here.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

She jumped and gasped loudly at the sound of his smooth voice.

"Don't do that."

He still had his eyes closed as he spoke to her.

"Do what?"

"Scare me or read my thoughts."

"Then don't project them so loudly."

"I wasn't."

She crossed her arms over her chest.

His eyes fluttered open and he turned round to look at her.

"Which one of us would know if you were?"

She huffed out her breath.

"You."

She was sulking and she hated it.

"But even if I was that doesn't make it ok for you to read them, you could ignore them."

He laughed quietly in response, which made her even more annoyed.

He rose to his knees and reached out for her but she moved out the way and all he gripped was thin air.

"Now, now. You know you don't want to be mad at me."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

He climbed onto the bed and slowly made his way to her.

"I can assure you that I do."

"Your thoughts betray you Padme."

His fingers slid down the length of her exposed arm and she shivered with pleasure.

"You want to kiss me."

"I do not."

She was desperately trying not to give in but he was right, she did want to kiss him, in fact she wanted to do a lot more than just kiss him.  
........................................

........................................

It was only a matter of time.

He couldn't help himself, he had to keep touching her, to make sure she was real.

Last night had been a dream come true and while he hadn't been to sleep he still had a hard time believing it had happened.

He lowered his mouth to her shoulder and began to caress the soft skin with his lips.

"Come on Padme, don't torture yourself. Let it go."

He kissed up her neck to the sensitive spot just behind her ear, which he's found in his travels last night.

She sighed loudly into his ear.

Any minute now.

With his lips barely touching her ear he whispered to her.

"Good morning my love."

He let his hand run down her arm again as he nibbled his way round her jaw.

Her eyes closed and her mouth was parted as she forced herself to breathe.

"Good morning."

Time up.

His lips found hers and in that moment nothing outside her bedroom existed.

He bit on her lip as her nails clawed into the skin of his neck, causing her to yelp.

She pulled him on top of her as she laid down on the comfort of the bed.

As they continued to kiss he pushed his thigh in between hers while his hand glided down her leg, bent it at the knee and hooked it round the back of his.

The silky material of her night-gown fell away and exposed her thigh and his hand kneaded the flesh.

The force swirled around them and illuminated them in bright light.

Thank the gods that he was the only force sensitive in the immediate area, they certainly wouldn't go unnoticed if they were at the Temple.

He didn't want to think about that right now though.

And indeed he wouldn't as her hands slipped beneath his shirt and scratched at his skin.

She pulled her mouth from his out of breath and cheeks flushed.

"You.have.too many.clothes on."

She smiled wickedly and quickly undid the buttons of his shirt and pulled it from his body.

She leaned up and planted butterfly kisses over the expanse of his chest.

He gritted his teeth and sucked in air as his hand gripped her thigh tighter.

She lifted her hips to brush over the very evident lump in his trousers and it caused the air to rush from his lungs with a moan.

She pulled her other leg from under him so that he was now lying in the middle of them.

He put gentle pressure on her shoulder so that she would lay back down and took to exploring her neck.

She wrapped her arms round his back and waist and pushed up forcefully with her hips so that her pelvis would meet his.

His breath was ragged as he spoke.

"If you keep that up I might just forget my manners."

He lifted his head to see her reaction.

She smiled at him sweetly.

"That was the plan."

He was shocked at the words and she shocked him further when her hand grabbed his buttock and she pushed herself against him again.

On instinct he let his hips grind into hers and find a rhythm.

He captured her lips with his and kissed her hard.

His hand rested on her slender waist to guide their movements.

He pulled away to end the kiss and allowed himself to move down her body.  
.......................................

.......................................

Her breathing was heavy and her moans loud as their lower bodies continued to crash into each other.

His erection was hard and held back by the material of his trousers and she could only rub herself against it.

Obi-Wan had stopped kissing her and she opened her eyes to see what the problem was.

He was staring down at her breasts hidden beneath the silk.

It was only then that she realised he had yet to touch them.

Suddenly the desire to have him do so took control of her and she picked up his hand and used it to pull down the strap of her night-gown on one side.

Then she made him pull down the other and push the material away from her body and exposed them to him.

She watched him watch her and she was turned on ten times more.

"Touch me Obi-Wan."

He stroked her face and searched her eyes.

"Truly believe me when I say that you're beautiful."

She thought she might cry.

He kissed her forehead and as he made his way down to her breast the loud knocking on the door stilled him.

"M'lady breakfast is served!"

She groaned at the interruption.

"M'lady?"

"Yes! Yes! I heard you, we'll be right out!"

She breathed in irritation.

She'd never been so turned on in life and there was to be no release.

"Nevermind, its best that we stopped."

She laughed at him.

"Something tells me that this part of your body wouldn't agree with that statement."

She rubbed her thigh against his arousal.

He rolled his eyes and swallowed hard.

"Yes well that doesn't matter. I'm still right, we had to stop. Now come on, we have to get dressed."

"I hate you."

"And I love you too."  
............................

............................

Two more days had passed and there still hadn't been any sign of their attackers.

The nights were long and quiet within and around the ancient Chateau, much to his dislike.

It was too quiet.

He stepped out onto the balcony to get a clearer reading of his surroundings from the force.

He felt at peace as he connected with every living being in close proximity.

Nothing felt out of place at this point in time, the world was simply sleeping.

Pity that didn't put his mind at ease.

He knew that the longer her attackers stayed in hiding the more sophisticated their plan would be.

These men weren't stupid; they knew what they were doing.

He was more than ready for anything they wanted to throw at him.

He'd spent the past two days meditating and working out so that he would be fully prepared for them.

His silent musings were disturbed as delicate fingers trickled down the length of his back and then slender arms encircled his waist.

"Come back inside love. It's getting cold out here."

His heart warmed with her presence.

He laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed the lightly.  
"I will soon don't worry. Let me just do one last check on everything out here."

She rested her head between his shoulder blades and her voice was muffled as she spoke.

"Ok but please don't take too long, I'm getting lonely in there all on my own."

She kissed his back through the material of his tunics and took her warmth and love back inside.

He let out a heavy breath.

He wasn't happy with himself for breaking the code but after many hours of meditation he'd learned to live with it.

He had the force's blessing and the knowledge comforted him greatly.

The force had carved out his life and he was merely following the instructions.

There was some higher reason why it wanted he ad Padme together, it just wasn't revealing it to anyone just yet.

He could wait.  
.........................................

.........................................

She watched him tirelessly from her position on her large bed.

She wished that he wouldn't worry so much, if something was going to happen then it would and there was nothing that either of them could do to stop it.  
She hadn't seen him sleep in the past two days and she didn't want him to make himself ill because of her.

He would always assure her that he was fine though and then change the subject.

Oh please come inside Obi-Wan.

She sent the thought in his direction ad hoped that he'd caught it.

The evening and the new morning were the only time that they had where they were absolutely alone.

She treasured the time that they had.

The previous night he had read to her as she lay curled up in his arms.

She'd realised that moments like that were just as important and wonderful as their more intimate embraces.

They had succeeded in keeping their passion under control and were allowing things to move forward at a much slower pace.

The one thing she was finding hard to do was treating him like nothing more than a friend in front of the eyes of others.

Her hand would seek his if they went for a walk accompanied by her handmaidens.

Her lips craved to cover his when she watched him eat the juicy fruit at breakfast.

She had to endure it though, they couldn't afford for anyone to find out.

She had a feeling that her dear handmaidens suspected something and it ate her up inside not to be able to tell them.

Maybe she would one day but not at the moment.

She was just about to get out of bed and go over to him again when he turned and made his way to her.

She smiled as he sat down opposite her.

His eyes were a dull grey/blue as she looked within them.

She traced his cheek with her hand.

"You look tired love."

He closed his eyes and sighed softly.

"I'm fine, I promise you."

"Why don't you take a little nap, it won't hurt. All is quiet for now."

He shook his head but lowered it down to rest in her lap as he stretched out the rest of his body.

She raked her fingers through his short dusty hair and massaged his scalp.

"It's the quietness that worries me, they're up to something. I can't sleep, not until they've been caught. I'd be putting you in danger if I did."

"Just don't work yourself to exhaustion, you'll be no good to me then."

He chuckled and raised his hand to hold her cheek then twisted his head round to look at her.

She loved his touch and leaned into it.

"What would I do without you?"

His eyes were sincere and his love shone through them.

"Lead a peaceful life, but that wouldn't make you happy."

He cocked his eyebrow at her.

"Oh wouldn't it?"

"No, you like to live dangerously, I can see it in your eyes."

"Oh well if you say so."

"And I do. Now shut up and kiss me."

He laughed deeply and pulled her head down to him.

She poured all her love for him into their kiss and deepened it.

She would never tire of kissing him, it just wasn't possible.

She sighed contentedly as they both pulled away.

His thumb sweeped under her eye and his gaze was fixed on her.

"I love you."

She smiled down at him, that was another thing she would never tire of.

"And I love you. Now please relax for a while."

He shifted his position to lay on his side and she thought that he was going to simply ignore her request.

"I guess just five minutes wouldn't hurt."

"No it wouldn't."  
.........................................

.........................................

He was a lot more tired than he'd first thought and it would be nice to be able to have five minutes rest.

Besides, he was more than comfortable in his current position and wouldn't dream of moving.

He'd never thought that this intimate comforting between a couple would be part of his life.

He knew that being a Jedi would mean that he would never experience the simple pleasures of an ordinary man, marriage and fatherhood being the most obvious, but that had always been fine with him and strangely enough it still was.

He wasn't a selfish person and he would be thankful for whatever time he and Padme had, just the experience of love was enough for him.

He reached out with his senses and felt the two very familiar signatures of Padme's handmaidens.

They were making their way to the room and would be at the door in less than a minute.

No rest for the wicked.

"I'm afraid we have to move my dear."

Her hands stopped moving through his hair.

"Why's that?"

"Because your devout handmaidens are making their way to us."

He heard her groan and opened his eyes to see her rubbing her hand against her temple in irritation.

He sat up and lovingly kissed her on the forehead, then made his way over to a chair that was by the main window.

He watched her tuck herself back into bed and wait for the eventual knock on the door.

Her handmaidens didn't disappoint and within the next few seconds their light tapping could be heard.

Padme cleared her throat before making her reply.

"Enter."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part IX.

He sat in a meditative state as the three young women located on the bed giggled playfully at each other.

The same thing had been going on for the past hour now.

Rabe and Corde had said that they had heard noises outside their room and were worried about their safety.

So they'd asked if they could stay with their dear Padme tonight and she had accepted.

At first they had been much more interested in him and what he was up to, rather than talking to Padme.

But after ten minutes of him sitting in his chair without movement they soon forgot he was even there.

He'd decided to enter a light meditation so that he could distance himself from their loud conversations and also to have a better connection with everything around him.

Padme's presence shone brightly in his mind and he'd felt her sneak quick glances at him many times.

He could hear her thoughts worrying about him and his lack of rest and it caused his heart to warm at the knowledge that she cared so much.

She needn't worry about him though.

He could take care of himself.

It was then that he felt the disturbance in the force and flew out of his chair with lightning speed and ignited his lightsabre.

He heard the gasps of the handmaidens but paid them no attention.

"Obi-Wan?"

Her voice was filled with fear as she spoke his name.

Without turning his attention from the window he gave his orders.

"Get off the bed and lay down on the floor now. Keep quiet and don't move."

They did as he said.

"What is it Obi-Wan? You're scaring me."

"They're here."  
........................................

........................................

His statement had rendered her speechless.

All she could do was stare, dumbfounded, at the back of her Jedi Knight.

They had finally come for her.

She took a sideways glance at her handmaidens and they looked just as shocked as she thought she did.

She reached for their hands and squeezed them tight in reassurance.

Their gazes did not falter under hers and they turned from fear to silent determination.

The only sound that filled the room was the soft hum of Obi-Wan's lightsabre.

She turned to look at him again.

He was a statue of calmness.

Her forever brave Jedi.

Ready and waiting.

He suddenly came to life when a blaster shot raced through the window and he successfully blocked it with his blade.

That first shot was followed by a couple of dozen more before the first man burst through the window.

He ran for Obi-Wan and engaged him in battle.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't last long as he was cut down with a blur of the blue lightsabre.

The room turned into complete chaos as glass flew across the air with more blaster fire.

The two over guards that they did have at the Chateau finally broke into the room to aid Obi-Wan.

More men charged the room and the blaster fire increased with every passing second.

Amongst it all she caught sight of her knight fighting off three men at once and her heart leaped into her throat.

He needed help, there was no way he could fight them all.

She had to do something.

She saw him shouting to the guards but could hear the words above the noise of the combat.

She started to rise to her feet when one of the guards grabbed hold of her and effectively stopped her in her tracks.

"Come your highness! I'm taking you and your handmaidens to safety."

She snatched her arm from his grip.

"What? No I won't leave. You're out numbered and need our help."

"Please your highness. They're my orders from Jedi Kenobi. He said not to argue with him."

She huffed out her breath and looked over in time to see the blade of Obi- Wan's lightsabre demobilise one man while he used the force to push another out the window.

"Please your highness, we must hurry."  
She bowed her head and stood up with her handmaidens.

"There she is!"

The shout didn't go unnoticed and now all attention was fixed on the three women.  
.........................................

........................................

He spun round and stared at Padme.

There was no time.

He ran towards them at the same time a small group of their attackers did.

He stretched out with his arm and managed to cut the hand off of one man who tried to grab them.

But he was unable to stop the one who did succeed in grabbing hold of Corde.

"I have her! Everyone leave!"

Corde screamed as they dived out the window and into the darkness.

He immediately went to run after them but Padme's hand on his arm stopped him.

He turned to look at her.

"Please be careful. Bring her back to us."

"I will, you have my word."

She hugged him tightly before letting him leave.  
.......................................

.......................................

He'd been following them for a little over an hour and a half now.

They had taken off on speeders and were far ahead of him but because of his abilities he was able to track their trail.

He was almost at the end of that trail and he would soon find out where they'd been hiding out and where they now held Corde.

He'd taken it in turns to use a force-induced run and then running at his normal human rate.

There was no time to rest.

He couldn't believe that he'd allowed them to take her.

If only he'd been quicker or if he'd made them leave the room as soon as he'd felt the threat, then they wouldn't be where they were now.

At least he'd managed to do one thing right, they hadn't captured Padme.

Not that they knew that though.

He spared a thought for his dear Padme.

He hoped that she wasn't too upset.

He'd make sure that Corde got back to her unscathed.

She was strong, that he knew.

She would be fine.

After another few metres the forest began to thin out and he had approached the end of his hunt.

He stayed hidden in the safety of the bushes while he surveyed the area.

The building was small and only had one level but had plenty of windows.

He saw the speeders all parked up outside, they could be useful.

His COM unit bleeped and he answered it.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi here, over."

"Jedi Kenobi this is Captain Panaka. Have you located the building? Over."

"Yes captain. I'm there now. Track my signal and you'll find it, over."

"Very well, over."

"How long do you think you'll be Captain? Over."

"We'll be therein 15 minutes. Panaka over and out."

He replaced his co unit to his pocket and remained in his hiding place.

He'd contacted Captain Panaka with the news of their attack as soon as he'd left the Chateau.

He knew that there was no way he could rescue Corde, capture the rebels and hold them without leaving Padme unguarded for too long.

He would need back up.

He was both relieved and disappointed that within the next few hours it would all be over.

She would be safe and be able to get on with life again.

His mission would be a success.

But it would also mean that he wouldn't have an excuse to be alone with her anymore.

He would barely see her once they went back to the palace and then he would have to leave.

Being out here with her had clouded his mind.

Before now he'd never even thought about what would happen one the mission was over.

He hadn't really planned on it ending.

Talk about a slap in the face.

He couldn't think about this now.

He had to focus on the task at hand.

And with that thought came the arrival of Captain Panaka and his men.  
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........................................

It was all taking too long.

She wanted them back now.

She'd spent the last two hours cleaning up what was left of her room.

There was no way that she'd be able to stay in it tonight.

They'd already worked through that problem and now she would stay with Rabe and wait for Corde and Obi-Wan to return.

The night had started out so well, why did it have to end like this?

She stood in front of the window in Rabe's room.

She laughed bitterly inside.

There was no need to worry about her standing in front of windows anymore, the rebels thought that they already had her.

Corde's scream ran through her ears again.

She'd never forget the sound.

Oh Corde I'm sorry.

Her poor handmaiden could be going through anything right now, there was now telling what those men would do to her.

And what if something happened to Obi-Wan and he was unable to get to her?

Obi-Wan.

Why did this have to happen?

Why couldn't it have been a simple evening?

One in which she would have spent the twilight hours in the safety of his arms, loving him.

Oh kind gods please bring him back to me.

She needed him, ore than she thought she'd ever need anyone.

She felt the comforting hand of Rabe on her shoulder and relaxed a little.

"Don't worry m'lady, he'll bring her back. It'll all be over soon."

"I know, I know. But it doesn't stop me from worrying about them."

Rabe turned her away from the window and guided her over to her bed.

"You care about him a lot don't you."

It was more a statement than a question and it broke her resolve and she couldn't hold it all inside any longer.

Silent tears trickled down her face.

"I love him."

"Oh Padme."

Rabe pulled her into her arms and held her tightly as she cried.

"I know I shouldn't but I can't help it."

Rabe stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth.

"Shhh.shhh.its ok."

They were silent for a few minutes until Rabe spoke again.

"Does he know?"

Padme pulled away from Rabe's embrace so that she could look her friend and handmaiden in the eye.

"Yes, yes he does."  
.........................................

.........................................

They'd attacked only minutes ago.

He was in the process of fighting off two men while he reached out with the force to find Corde.

She was through the door that was on the back wall of the room he was in now.

He quickly ended his battle with the two men with strong force pushes and made his way to the door.

Blaster fire was coming from all directions but he easily deflected any fire aimed at him.

He dismantled the lock with his lightsabre and cautiously opened the door.

The force sent him a warning just in time and he was able to dodge the blaster shot aimed for his head.

There were two men inside with Corde, who was tied to a chair.

They fired shots at him but he was able to block them with his blade and gradually make his way further into the room.

As the shots bounced off his lightsabre a couple hit one of the men and took hi out of the fight.

The other rebel stopped firing and attempted to stare out the Jedi.

Obi-Wan saw his opportunity and took it.

He turned off his lightsabre.

His opponent was confused and distracted.

Obi-Wan waved his hand through the air as he spoke.

"You don't want to fight me."

"I don't want to fight you."

"You want to go out there and turn yourself over."

"I want to go out there and turn myself over."

"Now do it."

He watched the man carefully as he made his way out of the room.

Then he turned his attention to Corde and went about untying her.

He removed the gag from her mouth.

"Was that.? Did you just.?"

"Use a Jedi mind trick? Yes. No need in shedding blood when there is a much more peaceful solution. Now let's get you out of here."

He took her hand and led her over to the door.

Looking at the scene in the next room he could see that his mind trick had started a trend and now the remaining rebels were giving themselves up.

He caught Panaka's eye and signalled that he was sending Corde on her way.

They made their way outside and he selected one of the speeders for her to use.

"You know how to use one of these don't you?"

"Yes sir."

"Good and you know your way back?"

"Yes sir, they didn't blindfold me. But aren't you coming with me?"

"No not just yet. I'm going to stay and make sure that Captain Panaka doesn't have any trouble. I won't be far behind you though."

"Very well then sir."

He watched her get on the speeder and start up the engine.

"Thank you for coming after me."

"You're welcome and please tell the Queen that I won't be long."

"Yes of course."

He saw her off and headed back into the now quiet building.

He spent 15 minutes helping Captain Panaka load the captured rebels on to his ship.

"Well that's the last of them Jedi Kenobi. We'll be heading off as soon as my men have finished wiring the building."

Captain Panaka had come to the decision of blowing up the building so that it there was any information hidden inside it would be destroyed.

"Very good Captain. I shall make my way back too."

"Are you sure we can't drop you off?"

"No I'll be fine. I've picked a speeder to use."

"Ok then. My men are back on board so we'll be leaving."

"Goodbye Captain. I'll have the Queen back at the palace in the next few days."

"Thank you Jedi Kenobi and goodbye."

The two men bowed to each other and the ship took off.

Obi-Wan made his way over to his speeder and started up the engine.

He didn't get more than 15 metres away when the building exploded and the debris hit his vehicle and sent him through the air.  
.......................................

.......................................

Padme stood rooted to the ground as she saw the speeder carrying Corde stop outside the Chateau.

Once she knew for sure that she wasn't daydreaming she raced outside to her.

"Corde you're back! Oh thank the gods!"

She hugged her tightly.

"Did they hurt you?"

"No m'lady, they didn't get the chance. It was all over before it started."

"Oh that is good to hear. I'm so sorry that it happened Corde. I should have done something."

Corde pulled away from her.

"It's fine, there was nothing anyone could do. I'm fine now thanks to Jedi Kenobi."

At the mention of his name Padme started to worry when she noticed that he wasn't with her handmaiden.

"Where is Jedi Kenobi?"

She saw Corde's eyes change with sorrow.

"He said that he wouldn't be far behind me, that he just wanted to make sure everything was ok but."

Now Padme was beginning to panic inside.

"But what?"

Corde's eyes began to fill with water.

"But soon after I left I heard an explosion m'lady."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU post TMP, Obi-Wan is 25 and Padme is 18. Obi-Wan and Padme begin a relationship in the aftermath of Qui-Gon's death.

Part X.

She looked up at the clock again.  
It was 24 hours since Obi-Wan had gone missing.  
She hadn't been able to relax at all during that time.  
There was no way that she was going to be able to get back to normal until he returned.  
She'd tried to keep herself busy during the day either by cleaning her room, reading or cooking.  
The cook had been extremely surprised at her appearance in the kitchen but had allowed her access to anything she wanted to use.  
As long as her mind was kept busy she wouldn't think about what could have possibly happened to him.  
Both her handmaidens had been tiptoeing around her the whole day.  
Both were thinking the worst.  
That was up to them but she had to stay positive.  
Obi-Wan was a strong Jedi, he'd defeated a Sith for heaven's sake.  
A little explosion wouldn't get the better of him.  
He'd probably got lost or something stupid like that but he'd be home soon.  
Back home to her.  
"M'lady?"  
She kept her back facing her friend.  
"Yes?"  
"Its time you got some rest."  
She paid no attention to the comment.  
Rabe wasn't about to back off though and walked over to her.  
"Here take these, they'll help you sleep."  
Padme looked down into Rabe's hand and spied the two pills.  
"And what if I don't want to sleep?"  
"You need to m'lady. You want to look your best for him when he gets back don't you? The last thing you want is bags under you eyes. Now please take them."  
She relented and took the pills with a glass of water.  
"Thank you."  
Rabe ushered her over to Obi-Wan's bed and wrapped his robe around her.  
"Are you sure you'll be alright in here?"  
"I'll be fine. It helps me feel closer to him when I'm in here. I know it sounds silly but its true."  
"Well if you need anything then don't hesitate to call one of us."  
She smiled to reassure Rabe.  
"I will. Goodnight."  
"Goodnight m'lady."  
.........................................

.........................................

He'd been walking all through the night and he'd finally arrived with the rising of the new sun.  
He stood silently taking in the sight before him.  
He decided that the Chateau had never looked more beautiful than it did right now.  
He didn't know how long he'd laid unconscious on the forest floor but he felt like he'd been away too long.  
He'd been a little confused at first when he'd eventually woken up outside in the cold air.  
It was only when he'd seen the demolished speeder that he remembered the previous night and the explosion.  
Deep meditation had helped him rebuild his memory further.  
Then his only concern was finding a way to get back to the Chateau.  
It was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to use the speeder, so his only other option was to walk.  
And he'd been doing so ever since.  
All he needed right now was to get to bed and not wake up for a year but for now he'd settle for a couple of hours.  
He took in a deep breath and made his way up the stairs and through the front doors.  
He was greeted by the warmth inside and silence.  
Everyone was probably still asleep.  
Well at least he wouldn't disturb anyone and could slip into his room unnoticed.  
He'd surprise Padme later, maybe sneak up behind her or something.  
She'd most likely kill him but she'd laugh about it later.  
He walked through the sun lit hallway and almost made it all the way to his room when Rabe came out of hers.  
She froze mid-step when she saw him.  
"Jedi Kenobi is that you?"  
"Yes its me."  
"We've been so worried about you. Oh m'lady will be pleased to see you."  
"How has she been?"  
"We all thought you were dead but she refused to think so and she's kept herself to herself."  
Guilt filled him.  
He should have left sooner or got a lift from Panaka and then he wouldn't have got caught up in the explosion and she wouldn't have had to worry about him.  
"Where is she?"  
"In your room. It's the only place she could relax."  
He stared at his door and his heart went out to her.  
"I'll go in and see her now then. Thank you Rabe."  
He didn't wait for her to reply and opened the door slowly and as quietly as possible.  
It was dark inside with the only dim light being provided from a gap in the curtains.  
His eyes adjusted to the new conditions and he soon made out the shape of he small figure beneath his robe.  
Careful footsteps led him to her side.  
In sleep she looked like a child, carefree and ignorant to the ways of the universe.  
He lowered himself to his knees so that he could look at her more closely.  
Gods she was beautiful.  
He was sure that any Jedi would find it hard to resist her.  
He let his fingers trace her jaw and he watched as her eyelashes flickered from the touch.  
In a hushed whisper he called her.  
"Padme."

.....................................

.....................................

She tried to free herself from her dreams but she could still hear the ghostly voice calling out to her.  
It wasn't until she felt the familiar touch to her face that she realised she was actually awake and the voice.  
The voice was Obi-Wan.  
"Padme?"  
She forced her eyes open and they focused to reveal his gentle eyes.  
"Obi-Wan? Is that really you?"  
Her heart was thumping inside her ribcage with excitement while her head told her not to get her hopes up.  
"Yes its me, I'm here."  
A smile broke out onto her face as she gathered him into a hurried hug.  
"You're alive! Oh thank the gods you're ok!"  
She kissed around his face in a frenzied fashion.  
"Oh I love you so much. I was so worried about you."  
With both hands resting on his cheeks she pulled his head to meet hers and kissed him thoroughly.  
The action had calmed her some as they both pulled away breathless.  
She lent her forehead against his and tried to regain some composure.  
"I love you."  
That was all she wanted to say to him.  
"I love you too."  
His accented voice sounded content as he spoke the words.  
She opened her eyes and stroked his rough cheeks warmly.  
"What happened to you?"  
His sweet lips curled up in a half smile.  
"I had a little accident but nothing for you to worry about. Everything's fine now."  
He brushed the hair out of her tired eyes.  
"I was so scared Obi-Wan. I wanted to stay positive but I couldn't help but think."  
She had to pause as her emotions took control and the tears fell from her eyes.  
"But think you were dead."  
His thumbs wiped away her warm tears and he kissed her cheeks.  
"Hey its ok, I'm here now. I'm fine, I'm sorry I worried you but you don't have to anymore."  
She buried her head in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her as she cried.  
"I felt so alone and meaningless."  
He made her look at him.  
"Believe me Padme, you are neither."  
She saw the love and the seriousness in his eyes.  
She slowly leaned in and they shared a tender kiss.  
It was with that she knew for certain what she had to do and there was no stopping her.  
She ended their kiss and swallowed hard.  
"Marry me?"  
His eyes turned as bright as his lightsabre.  
"What?"  
"Marry me? I know it would be wrong for all sorts of reasons and we wouldn't be allowed to tell anyone but I also know that it's right. I can't tell you how I know but I do, I feel it down to my very core. No matter where we are I want you to know that I love you and that you love me, so that we'll never feel alone. Please Obi-Wan, marry me?"

........................................

........................................

His mind was racing as he took in all she said.  
She was right.  
There were so many reasons why it was wrong.  
The fact that she was a Queen and he was a Jedi, was the main one.  
But despite all that he knew that he needed this, that the force needed this.  
He looked into her worried eyes and he already knew his answer.  
"Yes."

With only a day's preparation their wedding was a simple affair.  
Her handmaidens had worked hard to turn one of her white dresses into her wedding gown and it was simply stunning.  
She stood with them now waiting to begin her destiny.  
There were no guests, only a few peasants to bear witness, as was the law.  
No one knew who they were so there was no danger of discovery.  
She couldn't believe that she was actually getting married, to a Jedi no less.  
If someone had told her that she'd be doing this a few weeks ago then she would have laughed in their face.  
Corde brought her back to the task at hand.  
"Its time m'lady."

......................................

......................................

The ceremony had been short and the reception even shorter, with only Rabe and Corde as guests.  
But now that was over and they could finally be alone.  
He watched her from afar, where she wouldn't be aware of his scrutiny.  
There on the balcony stood the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on.  
The red sunset illuminating her delicate figure.  
His wife.  
It had felt like a dream but a few pinches on his arm told him that he was indeed awake and it had actually happened.  
He couldn't and didn't want to keep his distance any longer and crossed the room to meet her.  
He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.  
She sighed and allowed her body to lean against his chest.  
He gave her a gentle squeeze and his lips found the bare skin of her shoulder.  
"Mmmmmm..."  
Was her only reply as she lifted her hand and stroked his neck with it, effectively holding him in place.  
He had no complaints as he continued to caress the smooth and sensitive skin of her neck.  
His arms went loose and she was able to turn around in them, capturing his lips in a sensual kiss that left little to the imagination.  
Their tongues tangled together in a delightful mating dance.  
She left him wanting more as she took her lips away from his, quietly moaning in pleasure like she'd just had a bite from her favourite chocolate cake.  
He followed her eyes as they moved up and down his body, studying every detail.  
"I think we ought to take this inside."  
Her voice was highly suggestive and he had to stifle the moan that threatened to leave his mouth.  
She slid her hand down his chest and turned to make her way into the room.  
"Whatever you say Mrs Kenobi."

........................................

........................................

She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the words leave his mouth.  
She twisted her head round to find him standing there smiling widely at her.  
"Mrs Kenobi. I quite like the sound of that, but not as much as Mr Naberrie."  
His smile grew even wider, if that was possible, and he laughed out loud.  
"What's so funny about that?"  
She made her face appear regal and serious as he walked up beside her, still chuckling to himself.  
"Oh you do know how to make me laugh, Mr Naberrie, that's a good one."  
"I don't know what you're talking about Obi-Wan, I'm completely serious."  
She had to restrain herself from laughing as she watched his face fall into a look of panic.  
"You are kidding aren't you?"  
She reached up with her hand and lightly caressed his cheek.  
"My sweet Obi-Wan. I don't want to argue about it tonight, we can discuss it in the morning. Now can we please go upstairs?"  
She made her way out of the room with grace and speed, she was having a hard time trying not to laugh.  
She could see that she was going to enjoy being Mrs Kenobi a lot.  
She was halfway up the stairs when he finally decided to join her, some of his worry still evident on his face.  
They made their way to his room in a comfortable silence.  
When she reached the door she went to open it and step inside but his heavy hand on hers stopped her.  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
"Going inside or did you plan on us staying in the hallway all night?"  
He shook his head at her.  
"You can't just walk in, I have to carry you over the threshold."  
He slipped his arm round her back to pick her up but she evaded him.  
"Don't be silly Obi-Wan, you will do no such thing."  
"But its tradition."  
"It doesn't matter."  
He stepped away from her and placed his arms at his sides.  
"Fine, if you won't let me then I have no other choice."  
He signalled for her to enter.  
"Thank you Obi-Wan."  
Just as she was about to cross the threshold she was suddenly lifted into the air and being carried into the room with Obi-Wan walking behind.  
Once the door was shut she was gently lowered back onto the ground.  
"I cannot believe you just did that, that was completely unfair."  
She stood with her hands on her hips and attempted to intimidate him, she knew it wouldn't work but did it anyway.  
He lifted his hands in surrender with a look of child like innocence.  
"It was the will of the force and who am I to deny it? Besides, what's done is done, we should live in the moment."  
"Don't feed me all your Jedi mantras, it won't work on me, I don't live by your rules."  
His eyes dilated and he began to saunter over to her, determination in his stride.  
She swallowed hard as he stood in front of her, his fingers grazing her cheeks.  
"And at the moment neither am I."  
The desire could be heard in his voice and seen in his eyes, she couldn't escape it.  
She had to close her eyes under his intense gaze and was pleasantly surprised when his soft lips brushed against hers in just a hint of a kiss that stole her breath.  
She wanted more desperately, there would be no denying her.  
She found his lips again and again in heated kisses that made them both moan deep in their throats with pleasure.

.........................................

.........................................

Her kisses were intoxicating, her tongue playing with his in the most wonderful way.  
Without even thinking, he gradually kept moving her backwards until the backs of her knees met the mattress of the bed, causing her to have to sit down.  
A quiet gasp fell from her lips as their mouths separated, their breathing heavy.  
He looked down at her with loving eyes, then let his hands take hold of her knees and slowly pull her legs apart.  
Her eyes were wide and unsure, watching closely as he knelt down between her legs.  
Now they were again face to face and he sort out her tender lips.  
His heart was beating wildly as he let his emotions take control of him.  
His hands tangled in her hair trying to deepen their kiss even further, he couldn't help himself, he needed to taste all of her.  
He eventually left her lips in need of oxygen but only seconds later he began his attack on her neck.  
Her hands, perched on top of his shoulders, dug into his skin beneath the material of his tunics as he touched a particularly sensitive spot.  
He made his way down to the hollow of her neck and then along to her collarbone.  
Her breathing was heavy as she whispered his name, her hands sliding into his shortly cropped hair.  
He used the force to aid his hands in exposing more of her skin to his lips by undoing the back of her dress, and together they made short work of it.  
He forced himself to lift his head and while never letting his eyes leave hers, he slowly pulled the sleeves off her arms and let the material pool at her waist, to reveal her last barrier.  
Her corset.

.........................................

.........................................

For some reason he was now completely still, just staring at her.  
She didn't want him to stop.  
Slowly she leaned forward and kissed him gently while her hands took his and pulled them round the back of her to untie her corset.  
His moment of shock must has passed as his lips became more demanding and his fingers worked frantically on releasing her.  
She felt the material go loose around her body and she gasped as it was thrown aside and the heated air caught the newly exposed skin.  
She could feel the smile on his lips as they continued to kiss.  
Then for the first time his hands touched her bare back in slow teasing strokes that sent shivers down her spine.  
His lips left hers and made a trail of butterfly kisses down to her chest but again he stopped.  
She didn't have to open her eyes to find out the reason why and she swore that if he didn't touch her she was going to die.  
"Obi-Wan, please."  
Her voice was breathy and thick with desire.  
Her hands clung to his arms as she moaned with delight when his mouth met her breast.  
She arched her back, pushing more of her flesh into the warmth of his mouth and lifted her hands to the back of his head, holding him in place.  
She could feel the liquid pooling between her legs as his tongue did wonderful things to her breast.  
Her other breast didn't go unnoticed either, as his hand kneaded at the supple skin and caused her to cry out for more.

.........................................

.......................................

His desire was growing with every moan, sigh and whisper that came out of her.  
He'd been caressing her chest for quite some time now, it was time to move on.  
He finally made his way further down to settle on her abdomen.  
She giggled as he playfully tickled her sides and she let the top half of her body fall back on the bed.  
He took the opportunity to pull her dress from her waist and down her legs, leaving her only in her underwear.  
Her body was completely perfect in his eyes and he found himself thanking the force for giving her to him.  
"Obi-Wan?"  
He met her gaze and tried to convey all his love for her through the simple glance.  
"You're so incredibly beautiful, do you know that?"  
Her eyes were watery as she looked away shyly.  
He stood up and leaned over her body to look into her deep brown eyes again.  
His hand held her chin in place and forced her to look at him.  
"You are my dear, you cannot refute the fact. Know it always."  
He waited for the recognition to appear in her eyes and then kissed her softly.  
Happy that his message was understood he travelled down the length of her body until he was, once again, settled between her legs.  
He nipped at the flesh on the inside of her thighs, eliciting mock cries of pain from her as well as a few gasps.  
He swapped legs and did the very same action but this time he added a few licks from his tongue.  
Still kissing her thigh he reached up to take the rim of her underwear in his hands and with a lift of her hips he removed his head and pulled her last garment from her body.  
He added them to the pile of her clothes and wandered back up the length of her body, taking the tie to play with her breasts again, much to her enjoyment.  
Then he ravished her mouth with his own.  
He had to touch her, he couldn't hold back any longer.  
He slowed the actions of his mouth, making their kiss a much more gentle affair, while his hand traced her body and when it reached its destination he slipped his finger into her core.

.......................................

.......................................

She ripped her mouth from his with a shocked gasp bursting from her lungs.  
She heard him grunt into her ear as he moved his finger within her again, her nerve endings coming a light as he found a rhythm and added another finger.  
She clawed at his back trying to get a grip on reality.  
"You're so wet and tight."  
His voice was rough, turning her on even more as he bit her earlobe.  
Her whole world was spinning as she felt his fingers curl and touch a spot inside her that forced her hips to buck, his name falling off her lips a dozen times as he touched it again and again.  
She could feel the knot in her stomach growing, begging for release and just as she thought she might get it his fingers disappeared.  
She verbally showed her disappointment and she heard Obi-Wan laugh into her neck.  
"Patience my love."  
She accepted the light kiss he offered to her lips and held his gaze firmly.  
"Just relax."  
He gave her a quick peck again and then his head descended down her body.  
What was he doing?  
Now was not the time to take a timeout.  
She was just about to question his motives when she felt his breath on the inside of her thigh, her body turning completely still.  
Her back arched high off the mattress as she felt the soft, wet and warm object touch her most private of places.  
With great determination she was successful in lifting her head and opening her eyes, to see what he was doing.  
Her eyes rolled back from the impact of the image before her, Obi-Wan with his head buried between her legs.  
The realisation that it was his tongue making her writhe, buck, cry, scream and delirious with desire, hit her hard.  
It was all she needed to send her over the edge, throwing her head back as bolts of electricity raced through her veins, she cried out for him.  
Her body shook with light tremors as he licked her dry.

........................................

........................................

He felt her body relax as he pulled away and rested his head against her thigh, his breathing coming out rapidly.  
Amazing.  
That was all he could think.  
She was totally and utterly amazing.  
As she'd come crying his name he'd almost gone over the edge himself and he couldn't workout what had held him back.  
Her fingers brushed through his hair and he was able to gingerly open his eyes to find hers staring right back at him.  
He could clearly see her love shining through them as she smiled down at him, her damp hair clinging to her face.  
She sat up straight, forcing him to do the same.  
His fingers combed through her hair and she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.  
"Thank you my love."  
Her voice was quiet and shy, but her smile was anything but shy as her hands slid under his tunic and grazed his stomach.  
He hissed in his next breath.  
"I think it's your turn now."  
She didn't give him the opportunity to make a reply as she pulled his tunic up and over his head.  
He was forced to close his eyes as she let her nails rake down his chest.  
She quickly replaced them with her tongue, catching him slightly off guard.  
"Stand up."  
He opened his eyes at the sound of her commanding voice.  
"Excuse me?"  
She locked her eyes on his.  
"I said, stand up."  
For the moment he was no longer in control of the situation, she already had it in her mind what she wanted to do to him and he would have to comply.  
He'd never been so turned on in his life.  
He did as she said and slowly stood up, his waist now level with her face.  
"Once again Obi-Wan, you have far too many clothes on."  
He looked down at her and caught the wicked grin that played on her lips.  
He braced himself as her hands slid over his hips in slow circular movements and then on to the very responsive evidence of his desire.  
He squeezed his eyes shut, sucked in his breath and clenched his hands into fists as she massaged the area.  
"And I know that this isn't your lightsabre. Why y love, you look a little tense, maybe there's something I can do to help you relax?"

........................................

........................................

She looked up at him with his eyes still shut and began to undo his belt and fly.  
She made sure that she did it as slowly as possible, so that he would feel every move intensely, and it worked.  
She didn't know when she'd become so bold but while she still had the upper hand she was going to exploit it to no end.  
His trousers now loose she eased them down his legs along with his underwear and freed his aching manhood.  
Her eyes were wide as she stopped what she was doing and just stared in wonder at the object barely a couple of inches in front of her eyes.  
She had no comparison to make with any other man but she had no doubt that her husband was very well endowed.  
She stole a quick glance up at him, his eyes were still closed and his breathing was slightly erratic.  
She let curious fingers trace the length of him ad Obi-Wan moaned loudly in response.  
She repeated the action over and over, her confidence building with his encouraging reactions.  
As she built a rhythm she was reminded of the blissful things he had done to her with his mouth and wondered what he would taste like.  
There was only one way to find out and as she tentatively reached out with her tongue his strong hands clamped down on her shoulders and gently pushed her away.  
She looked up at him with startled eyes.  
"What's wrong?"  
He swallowed hard before replying.  
"Nothings wrong. Its just, I can't wait any longer. I want to be inside you."  
As his words sunk into her mind he kicked off his shoes, socks and trousers, then he seized her lips in a hungry kiss.

........................................

........................................

She'd built his desire to a fever pitch and there was no way that he would be able to hold on for much longer.  
Her passion matched his as they continued to kiss ad made their way to the head of the bed at the same time.  
He fondled her breasts, making her arch against him, pushing his rigid manhood into her thigh.  
He let his hand dip into her core again and found her slick and ready for him.  
He slowed their kisses and pulled away to look at her.  
"Are you ready?"  
He stroked her hair as he waited for her consent.  
His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he felt her hand take him and place him at her warm entrance.  
"What does that tell you?"  
He smiled down at her and kissed the tip of her nose.  
"I love you."  
She caressed his cheek and nuzzled her nose into his.  
"I love you too."  
And with that he pushed his hips forward and brought himself home.

......................................

......................................

Their pace had grown and she knew that they were both close.  
He was hitting all the perfect spots and with his next thrust they both came hard calling out for each other over and over.  
At the same time she felt her mind open and suddenly she could hear and feel Obi-Wan's thoughts and emotions in her head.

.......................................

.......................................

Far, far away in the top levels of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Master Yoda turned to his trusted friend and council member Mace Windu.  
"Begun, it has."

.........................................  
.........................................

They lay spooned together in the afterglow of their love.  
He couldn't explain to her why of how the force had created a bond between them, just that it was its bidding.  
They would find out in time.  
They were both drifting into sleep when he heard her soft voice.  
"Obi-Wan?"  
He snuggled into her and pulled her tighter against him.  
"Yes."  
"Come away with me?"  
He laughed softly into her hair.  
"Anywhere love. Anywhere."

The End.


End file.
